Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb merceriser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb merceriser

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The English translation of the French verb merceriser is “to mercerize.” It is pronounced “mehr-seh-ree-zay” in its infinitive form.

The word merceriser comes from the noun “mercerie,” which refers to a haberdashery or small shop that sells fabrics, sewing supplies, and craft materials. The verb merceriser was coined in the early 19th century by John Mercer, a British chemist who discovered the process of mercerization, which involves treating cotton fabric with a solution of sodium hydroxide to increase its luster and strength.

In everyday French, the verb merceriser is most often used in the subjonctif plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past subjunctive tense. This tense is used to express actions or events that have already happened in the past, but are being referred to in a hypothetical or uncertain way.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with the respective English translations:

  1. J’étais content que tu aies mercerisé ce tissu.
    (I was glad that you had mercerized this fabric.)

  2. Il fallait que nous eussions mercerisé le coton avant de le teindre.
    (We had to have mercerized the cotton before dyeing it.)

  3. Elle était ravie que j’aie mercerisé son écharpe en soie.
    (She was delighted that I had mercerized her silk scarf.)

Table of the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of merceriser

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse mercérisé J’aurais aimé que je eusse mercérisé. I wish I had mercerized.
tu eusses mercérisé J’aurais aimé que tu eusses mercérisé. I wish you had mercerized.
il eût mercérisé J’aurais aimé qu’il eût mercérisé. I wish he had mercerized.
elle eût mercérisé J’aurais aimé qu’elle eût mercérisé. I wish she had mercerized.
on eût mercérisé J’aurais aimé qu’on eût mercérisé. I wish one had mercerized.
nous eussions mercérisé J’aurais aimé que nous eussions mercérisé. I wish we had mercerized.
vous eussiez mercérisé J’aurais aimé que vous eussiez mercérisé. I wish you had mercerized.
ils eussent mercérisé J’aurais aimé qu’ils eussent mercérisé. I wish they had mercerized.
elles eussent mercérisé J’aurais aimé qu’elles eussent mercérisé. I wish they had mercerized.

Other Conjugations for Merceriser.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb merceriser
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb merceriser
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb merceriser
   

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb merceriser
   

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb merceriser
   

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb merceriser
   

    Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb merceriser
   

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb merceriser

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb merceriser

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb merceriser

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb merceriser
   

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb merceriser

    Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb merceriser
   

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb merceriser
   

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb merceriser

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb merceriser

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb merceriser
    (this article)

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Merceriser – About the French Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense

The French Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait, also known as the Pluperfect Subjunctive, is a verb tense used to express actions or states that occurred before another action in the past, and it’s used in situations where the indicative mood is in the past subjunctive or conditional mood.
NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation

To form the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait, you start with the imperfect subjunctive form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être,” followed by the past participle of the main verb. 
For “avoir” verbs: Take the imperfect subjunctive form of “avoir” (e.g., j’eusse, tu eusses, il/elle eût, nous eussions, vous eussiez, ils/elles eussent). Add the past participle of the main verb. 
For “être” verbs: Take the imperfect subjunctive form of “être” (e.g., je fusse, tu fusses, il/elle fût, nous fussions, vous fussiez, ils/elles fussent). Add the past participle of the main verb.

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

Hypothetical Situations

The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait is often used to express hypothetical or unreal actions that occurred before another past action.
For example: J’aurais aimé que tu aies fini ton travail avant que je sois arrivé. (I would have liked for you to have finished your work before I arrived.) 

Reported Speech

In reported speech, you may use the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait to convey what someone said or thought in the past. 
For example: Il m’a dit qu’il avait peur que je n’aie pas compris. (He told me that he was afraid that I hadn’t understood.) 

Doubt, Wishes, and Emotions

This tense can also be used to express doubt, wishes, and emotions about past actions. 
For example: Je doutais qu’il eût dit la vérité. (I doubted that he had told the truth.) 
J’aurais souhaité que tu fusses venu. (I would have wished for you to have come.)

Interactions with Other Tenses

Present Subjunctive

The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait can be used to describe past actions when the main verb is in the present subjunctive. 
For example: “Il faut que j’aie fini mon travail avant que tu partes.” (I must have finished my work before you leave.) 

Imperfect Subjunctive

It’s common to use the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait with the imperfect subjunctive in complex sentences. 
For example: “Il m’avait dit qu’il fût rentré avant la fin de la journée.” (He had told me that he had returned before the end of the day.) 

Conditional

When the main verb is in the conditional mood, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait can be used to express past unreal conditions. 
For example: “Si j’avais su, j’aurais voulu que tu aies réussi.” (If I had known, I would have wanted you to have succeeded.)

Summary

The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait is a complex tense used to convey nuanced meanings in French. While its usage may seem intricate, it becomes more intuitive with practice and exposure to the language. It’s important to understand the context in which it’s used, as it often conveys subtleties of time, conditionality, and emotion in French sentences.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb merceriser. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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