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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb minimiser

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The English translation of minimiser is “to minimize” and the infinitive form is pronounced “mee-nee-mee-zay.”

The word minimiser comes from the Latin word “minimus,” meaning “smallest.” It entered the French language in the 16th century and is derived from the verb “minime,” meaning “to make small.”

In everyday French, minimiser is most often used in the subjonctif plus-que-parfait tense to express a past action that was minimized or downplayed. This tense is typically used in conjunction with the word “que” to indicate a subjective or uncertain action.

Here are three simple examples of minimiser used in the subjonctif plus-que-parfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. J’avais recommandé à mon ami de minimiser l’importance de ses erreurs. (I had advised my friend to downplay the importance of his mistakes.)

  2. Il est possible que j’aie minimisé les risques de cette opération. (It is possible that I had minimized the risks of this operation.)

  3. Nous aurions aimé que vous ayez minimisé les dégâts causés par le vol. (We would have liked for you to have minimized the damage caused by the theft.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse minimisé J’aurais préféré que je eusse minimisé. I would have preferred that I had minimized.
tu eusses minimisé J’aurais préféré que tu eusses minimisé. I would have preferred that you had minimized.
il eût minimisé J’aurais préféré qu’il eût minimisé. I would have preferred that he had minimized.
elle eût minimisé J’aurais préféré qu’elle eût minimisé. I would have preferred that she had minimized.
on eût minimisé J’aurais préféré qu’on eût minimisé. I would have preferred that one had minimized.
nous eussions minimisé J’aurais préféré que nous eussions minimisé. I would have preferred that we had minimized.
vous eussiez minimisé J’aurais préféré que vous eussiez minimisé. I would have preferred that you had minimized.
ils eussent minimisé J’aurais préféré qu’ils eussent minimisé. I would have preferred that they had minimized.
elles eussent minimisé J’aurais préféré qu’elles eussent minimisé. I would have preferred that they had minimized.

Other Conjugations for Minimiser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb minimiser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Minimiser – 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 minimiser. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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