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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb apposer

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The English translation of the French verb apposer is “to affix, to attach, to put up.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “ah-poh-zay”.

The origin of the verb apposer can be traced back to the Latin word “appōnere,” meaning “to place near or at, to set against.” It entered the French language in the 13th century.

In everyday French, the verb apposer is most commonly used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses a past action that is hypothetical or uncertain. This tense is used after certain conjunctions such as “avant que” (before), “bien que” (although), and “pour que” (so that).

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

  1. J’étais triste avant que tu n’apposes tes mains sur mes épaules. (I was sad before you put your hands on my shoulders.)
  2. Bien qu’il ait apposé sa signature, je doute qu’il respecte ses promesses. (Although he had affixed his signature, I doubt he will keep his promises.)
  3. Il avait peur que son état de santé n’appose des limites à ses voyages. (He was afraid that his health condition would put limits on his travels.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse apposé Je serais allé s’il eusse apposé sa signature. I would have gone if he had affixed his signature.
tu eusses apposé Tu serais allé s’il eusses apposé ta signature. You would have gone if you had affixed your signature.
il eût apposé Il serait allé s’il eût apposé sa signature. He would have gone if he had affixed his signature.
elle eût apposé Elle serait allée si elle eût apposé sa signature. She would have gone if she had affixed her signature.
on eût apposé On serait allé si on eût apposé sa signature. One would have gone if one had affixed their signature.
nous eussions apposé Nous serions allés si nous eussions apposé notre signature. We would have gone if we had affixed our signature.
vous eussiez apposé Vous seriez allés si vous eussiez apposé votre signature. You would have gone if you had affixed your signature.
ils eussent apposé Ils seraient allés s’ils eussent apposé leur signature. They would have gone if they had affixed their signature.
elles eussent apposé Elles seraient allées si elles eussent apposé leur signature. They would have gone if they had affixed their signature.

Other Conjugations for Apposer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb apposer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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