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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb atterrer

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The English translation of the French verb atterrer is “to terrify” or “to shock.” The infinitive form is pronounced “ah-ter-ray.”

The word atterrer comes from the Latin word “terra,” meaning “earth” or “ground.” It first appeared in French during the 12th century and was originally used to refer to the physical act of making someone fall to the ground. Over time, the meaning evolved to include the psychological impact of fear or shock.

In everyday French, atterrer is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past subjunctive tense. This tense is used to express something that could have happened in the past, but did not. It is often used in hypothetical or conditional sentences.

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

  1. Il était atterré que je ne l’aie pas invité à la fête.
    (He was shocked that I hadn’t invited him to the party.)

  2. Si j’avais vu cette scène, j’aurais été atterré.
    (If I had seen this scene, I would have been terrified.)

  3. Nous aurions été atterrés s’ils avaient appris la vérité.
    (We would have been horrified if they had learned the truth.)

In each of these examples, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is used to express a past situation that did not actually happen. The verb atterrer adds a sense of fear or shock to the sentences.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Atterrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb atterrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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