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

Introduction to the verb atteler

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The English translation of the French verb atteler is “to harness.” It is pronounced as “ah-teh-leh.”

Atteler comes from the Latin word “aptare,” meaning “to adapt or adjust.” It was first used in the 12th century in French, and its meaning has evolved over time to refer specifically to the act of attaching or linking something to a vehicle, such as a horse to a carriage. In everyday French, it is most often used in the context of driving or working with animals, but can also be used figuratively to mean “to join or unite.”

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, atteler is used to express a past action that was completed before another past action. This tense is formed by conjugating the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, and adding the past participle of atteler. It is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action, often in conjunction with other past tenses.

Here are three simple examples of atteler in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, with their English translations:

  1. J’aurais aimé que vous eussiez attelé les chevaux avant mon arrivée. (I would have liked for you to have harnessed the horses before my arrival.)

  2. Il fallait que nous fussions déjà attelés avant le départ du train. (We had to be already hitched before the train’s departure.)

  3. Elle a dit qu’elle aurait préféré que vous fussiez attelés ensemble pour ce projet. (She said she would have preferred for you to have been harnessed together for this project.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Atteler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb atteler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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