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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb appeler

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The English translation of the French verb appeler is “to call”. It is pronounced ah-peh-leh.

The verb appeler is derived from the Latin word “appellare”, which means “to address” or “to call upon”. It entered the French language in the 12th century and has been used in various forms and tenses since then.

In everyday French, appeler is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past tense of the subjunctive mood. This tense is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action that took place before another past action. It is often used in conjunction with the past tense of the indicative mood.

Three simple examples of appeler in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. Il fallait que je l’eusse appelé avant qu’il ne parte. (I had to call him before he left.)
  2. Elle aurait aimé que vous l’eussiez appelée plus tôt. (She would have liked you to have called her earlier.)
  3. Ils n’étaient pas sûrs que je les eusse appelés à temps. (They were not sure I had called them on time.)

In each of these examples, the verb appeler is conjugated in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense with the auxiliary verb “avoir” and the past participle “appelé”. This tense is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action that took place before another past action. In English, the verb “to have” is often used to translate the auxiliary verb “avoir” and the past participle remains the same.

Overall, the verb appeler is a commonly used verb in everyday French, and its Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is used to express hypothetical or uncertain actions in the past.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Appeler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb appeler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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