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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb aiguillonner

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The English translation of the French verb aiguillonner is “to goad” or “to spur on.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “ay-ghee-yoh-nay.”

The word aiguillonner comes from the French word aiguillon, which means “spur” or “goad.” It is derived from the Latin word aculeus, meaning “sting” or “prickle.”

In everyday French, aiguillonner is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express a hypothetical action that should have been completed in the past. It is often used to convey a sense of regret or reproach.

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

  1. J’aurais dû t’aiguillonner pour que tu finisses tes devoirs à temps. (I should have goaded you to finish your homework on time.)
  2. Si j’avais su, je t’aurais aiguillonné pour que tu prennes ce travail plus au sérieux. (If I had known, I would have spurred you on to take this job more seriously.)
  3. Elle aurait dû s’aiguillonner pour ne pas rater son examen. (She should have goaded herself to not fail her exam.)

In all of these examples, the speaker is expressing a sense of missed opportunity or regret for not having motivated someone (or themselves) to take a certain action in the past.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Aiguillonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aiguillonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
   

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

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