French C2: Literary tenses: passé antérieur & imperfect subjunctive · Words

Classic French prose has two tenses you will read but rarely say. The passé antérieur (avoir or être in the passé simple + participle) marks what was done just before a passé simple, after quand, dès que, après que or à peine: Quand il eut fini, il sortit. The imperfect subjunctive replaces the present subjunctive after a past main verb: Il fallait qu’il partît; Je voulais qu’elle vînt. In speech, use the present subjunctive.

• il eut fini — he had finished (literary)
• elle fut partie — she had left (literary)
• qu’il fût — that he were (literary)
• qu’il eût — that he had (literary)
• qu’elle vînt — that she came (literary)
• à peine — hardly, no sooner
• dès que — as soon as
• le récit — narrative, account

• Quand ils eurent dîné, ils sortirent. — When they had had dinner, they went out.
• À peine fut-elle entrée qu’on l’applaudit. — No sooner had she come in than they applauded her.
• Il eût mieux valu se taire. — It would have been better to keep quiet.
• Bien qu’il fût tard, nul ne partait. — Although it was late, no one was leaving.