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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb arpenter

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The English translation of the French verb arpenter is “to pace out” or “to survey.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “ahr-pehn-teh.”

The word “arpenter” comes from the Latin word “arpare,” meaning “to measure.” It first appeared in the French language in the 13th century and has been used in various fields such as cartography, architecture, and land surveying.

In everyday French, the verb arpenter is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or unreal past action. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Plus-que-parfait tense followed by the past participle of the verb.

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

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu eusses arpenté cette forêt avant qu’elle ne soit détruite. (I would have liked for you to have surveyed this forest before it was destroyed.)
  2. Il aurait fallu que nous eussions arpenté le terrain avant d’acheter la maison. (We should have surveyed the land before buying the house.)
  3. Elle aurait préféré que vous eussiez arpenté la ville avec elle. (She would have preferred for you to have paced out the city with her.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Arpenter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arpenter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
   

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

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