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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb ablater

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The English translation of the French verb ablater is “to remove” or “to strip off.” The infinitive form of ablater is pronounced as “ah-bla-tay.”

The word ablater comes from the Latin verb “ablatus” which means “to carry away.” It entered the French language in the 16th century and is derived from the Latin prefix “ab” meaning “away” and the verb “latus” meaning “to carry.”

In everyday French, ablater is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is a compound past tense used to express an event or action that happened before another past event. The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is formed by combining the subjunctive form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” with the past participle of the main verb.

Here are three simple examples of ablater used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais peur qu’il eût ablaté la peau du patient avant que j’arrivasse. (I was afraid he had removed the patient’s skin before I arrived.)

  2. Il m’a fallu prendre des mesures pour que tu eusses ablaté les mauvaises herbes du jardin. (I had to take measures for you to have removed the weeds from the garden.)

  3. Elle était contente que nous eussions ablaté tous les objets inutiles avant le déménagement. (She was happy that we had removed all the unnecessary objects before the move.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Ablater.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ablater
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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