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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb arc-bouter

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The English translation of the French verb arc-bouter is “to arch one’s back” or “to brace oneself”. The infinitive form is pronounced “ahrk-boo-tay”.

The word “arc-bouter” comes from the French words “arc” meaning “arch” and “bouter” meaning “to push”. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is a compound tense used to express a past action that was completed before another past action.

Here are 3 simple examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu t’arc-boutes pour soulever la lourde valise. (I wish you had arched your back to lift the heavy suitcase.)
  2. Il aurait été mieux que nous nous arc-boutions pour résister au courant de la rivière. (It would have been better if we had braced ourselves to resist the current of the river.)
  3. Elle aurait préféré que vous vous arc-boutiez pour soutenir le poids du carton. (She would have preferred if you had arched your back to support the weight of the box.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse arc-bouté Si j’avais pu, je eusse arc-bouté le bateau. If I could, I would have braced the boat.
tu eusses arc-bouté Si tu avais pu, tu eusses arc-bouté le bateau. If you could, you would have braced the boat.
il eût arc-bouté Si il avait pu, il eût arc-bouté le bateau. If he could, he would have braced the boat.
elle eût arc-bouté Si elle avait pu, elle eût arc-bouté le bateau. If she could, she would have braced the boat.
on eût arc-bouté Si on avait pu, on eût arc-bouté le bateau. If one could, one would have braced the boat.
nous eussions arc-bouté Si nous avions pu, nous eussions arc-bouté le bateau. If we could, we would have braced the boat.
vous eussiez arc-bouté Si vous aviez pu, vous eussiez arc-bouté le bateau. If you could, you would have braced the boat.
ils eussent arc-bouté Si ils avaient pu, ils eussent arc-bouté le bateau. If they could, they would have braced the boat.
elles eussent arc-bouté Si elles avaient pu, elles eussent arc-bouté le bateau. If they could, they would have braced the boat.

Other Conjugations for Arc-Bouter.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter
   

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter
   

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter
   

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter
   

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

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter
   

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

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

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter
   

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arc-bouter

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

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Arc-Bouter – 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 arc-bouter. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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