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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb accouer

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The English translation of the French verb accouer is “to dock” or “to moor.” The infinitive form is pronounced as ah-koo-eh.

The word accouer comes from the Old French term “acoler,” meaning “to attach” or “to join together.” It is commonly used in everyday French to refer to the action of securing a boat or ship to a dock or pier.

Accouer is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express a past possibility or hypothetical situation. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the imperfect subjunctive form, followed by the past participle of the main verb.

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

  1. Quand j’ai trouvé le port complet, j’ai regretté de ne pas avoir accoué mon bateau plus tôt. (When I found the port full, I regretted not having docked my boat earlier.)

  2. Si tu m’avais demandé de l’aide, j’aurais pu accouer ton bateau sans problème. (If you had asked me for help, I could have docked your boat without any problem.)

  3. Il était déjà tard quand nous avons réalisé que nous avions oublié d’accouer le canot. (It was already late when we realized that we had forgotten to dock the canoe.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Accouer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb accouer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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