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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb appointer

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The English translation of the French verb appointer is “to appoint” or “to designate.” The infinitive form is pronounced ah-pwahn-tey.

The word appointer comes from the Latin word “appointare,” meaning “to fix” or “to determine.” It evolved in Old French to mean “to assign a task” or “to choose for a specific purpose.”

In everyday French, the verb appointer is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or uncertain action that took place before another past action. This tense is formed by using the past subjunctive of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être,” followed by the past participle of the main verb.

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

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu m’aies appointé pour le poste de chef. (I would have liked for you to have appointed me for the position of chief.)
  2. Il était déçu que le directeur n’eût pas appointé son frère comme directeur adjoint. (He was disappointed that the director had not appointed his brother as assistant director.)
  3. Elle craignait que son mari n’eût pas été appointé par le conseil d’administration. (She was afraid that her husband had not been appointed by the board of directors.)

In each of these examples, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is used to express a past action that is uncertain or hypothetical. In the first example, the speaker would have liked to have been appointed for a specific position, but it did not happen. In the second and third examples, the actions of appointing someone did not take place as expected or desired.

Overall, appointer is a versatile verb that is used in a variety of contexts in both everyday and formal French. Its root in the Latin language reflects its long history and continued use in modern French.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Appointer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb appointer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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