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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb allumer

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The English translation of the French verb allumer is “to light” or “to turn on”. The infinitive form is pronounced “ah-loom-ay”.

The word allumer comes from the Latin verb “aluminare”, meaning “to illuminate”. It entered the French language in the 12th century and has been used primarily to indicate the action of lighting or igniting something.

In everyday French, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is used to express a hypothetical or unreal action in the past. Allumer is often used in this tense to express a past conditional action or possibility.

Examples:

  1. J’aurais allumé la bougie si j’avais eu des allumettes. (I would have lit the candle if I had matches.)

  2. Elle aurait allumé un feu dans la cheminée s’il avait fait froid. (She would have lit a fire in the fireplace if it had been cold.)

  3. Nous aurions allumé les bougies pour créer une ambiance romantique si nous avions su que c’était notre anniversaire. (We would have lit the candles to create a romantic atmosphere if we had known it was our anniversary.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Allumer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb allumer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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