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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb mobiliser

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The English translation of mobiliser is “to mobilize”. It is pronounced “moh-bee-lee-zay”, with the emphasis on the second syllable.

The verb mobiliser comes from the Latin word mobilitas, meaning “mobility”. It entered the French language in the mid-19th century, and is derived from the verb mobilis, meaning “movable”.

In everyday French, mobiliser is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express a past action that is hypothetical or contrary to reality. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb avoir or être in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, followed by the past participle of the verb.

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

  1. Ils avaient mobilisé toutes leurs forces pour l’opération. (They had mobilized all their forces for the operation.)

  2. Je regrettais de ne pas avoir mobilisé plus de personnes pour la manifestation. (I regretted not having mobilized more people for the protest.)

  3. Il aurait aimé que les pays européens aient mobilisé davantage d’aide pour les réfugiés. (He would have liked for European countries to have mobilized more aid for the refugees.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Mobiliser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb mobiliser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Mobiliser – 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.

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