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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb alléger

Get the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) tense conjugation of alléger. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb alléger is “to lighten” or “to ease”. It is pronounced as “a-le-zhay”.

The word alléger comes from the Old French word “alegier” which means “to make light”. It is derived from the Latin word “levis” meaning “light” or “smooth”. In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses a past hypothetical action or condition.

Here are three examples of its usage in this tense with their English translations:

  1. J’avais allégé mes charges avant que vous ne me demandiez de l’aide. (I had lightened my load before you asked for my help.)
  2. Elle avait allégé ses exigences avant que nous ne lui présentions notre proposition. (She had eased her demands before we presented our proposal to her.)
  3. Ils avaient allégé leurs dépenses avant que la crise financière ne frappe. (They had lightened their expenses before the financial crisis hit.)

In all of these examples, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is used to express an action that happened before another past action. It is often used in a hypothetical or conditional context. The verb alléger is conjugated in this tense as “avais allégé” for je, tu, il/elle/on, and “avions allégé” for nous, vous, ils/elles.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse allégé Si j’avais su, j’aurais aimé que je eusse allégé mes bagages. If I had known, I wish I had lightened my luggage.
tu eusses allégé J’aurais aimé que tu eusses allégé la charge. I wish you had lightened the burden.
il eût allégé J’aurais aimé qu’il eût allégé la peine. I wish he had lightened the pain.
elle eût allégé J’aurais aimé qu’elle eût allégé la souffrance. I wish she had lightened the suffering.
on eût allégé J’aurais aimé qu’on eût allégé le fardeau. I wish one had lightened the burden.
nous eussions allégé J’aurais aimé que nous eussions allégé la charge. I wish we had lightened the burden.
vous eussiez allégé J’aurais aimé que vous eussiez allégé le poids. I wish you had lightened the weight.
ils eussent allégé J’aurais aimé qu’ils eussent allégé le fardeau. I wish they had lightened the burden.
elles eussent allégé J’aurais aimé qu’elles eussent allégé la peine. I wish they had lightened the pain.

Other Conjugations for Alléger.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb alléger
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the alléger Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply