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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb arborer

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The English translation of the French verb arborer is “to display” or “to show off.” It is pronounced “ahr-boh-reh.”

The language origin of arborer can be traced back to the Latin word “arbor,” meaning “tree.” In French, it is most often used in its literal sense, meaning “to show or display something,” but can also be used figuratively to mean “to flaunt.”

In everyday French, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (past subjunctive) tense of arborer is often used in formal or literary contexts to express a hypothetical or uncertain action that took place before another past action.

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

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu aies arboré ta plus belle robe pour la soirée. (I wish you had displayed your most beautiful dress for the party.)
  2. Il semblait qu’elle ait arboré un air de satisfaction après avoir reçu la promotion. (She seemed to have displayed an air of satisfaction after receiving the promotion.)
  3. Nous aurions préféré que vous ayez arboré une attitude plus humble envers vos invités. (We would have preferred if you had shown a more humble attitude towards your guests.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Arborer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arborer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Arborer – 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.

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