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

Introduction to the verb attirer

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The English translation of the French verb attirer is “to attract.” The infinitive form is pronounced “ah-tee-reh.”

Attirer comes from the Old French word “atirier,” which means “to attract, allure, or entice.” It has its roots in the Latin word “attirare,” which means “to draw to.”

In everyday French, attirer is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is equivalent to the English past subjunctive tense. This tense is used to express a hypothetical or unreal action that happened in the past. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the imperfect subjunctive form followed by the past participle of the verb.

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

  1. J’étais désolé que tu n’aies pas été attiré par mon offre. (I was sorry that you had not been attracted by my offer.)

  2. Nous avions peur que le bruit n’ait attiré l’attention des gardes. (We were afraid that the noise had attracted the guards’ attention.)

  3. Il était étonné que les oiseaux aient été attirés par le son de sa guitare. (He was surprised that the birds had been attracted by the sound of his guitar.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse attiré J’avais peur que je eusse attiré leur attention. I was afraid I had attracted their attention.
tu eusses attiré J’avais peur que tu eusses attiré leur attention. I was afraid you had attracted their attention.
il eût attiré J’avais peur qu’il eût attiré leur attention. I was afraid he had attracted their attention.
elle eût attiré J’avais peur qu’elle eût attiré leur attention. I was afraid she had attracted their attention.
on eût attiré J’avais peur qu’on eût attiré leur attention. I was afraid one had attracted their attention.
nous eussions attiré J’avais peur que nous eussions attiré leur attention. I was afraid we had attracted their attention.
vous eussiez attiré J’avais peur que vous eussiez attiré leur attention. I was afraid you had attracted their attention.
ils eussent attiré J’avais peur qu’ils eussent attiré leur attention. I was afraid they had attracted their attention.
elles eussent attiré J’avais peur qu’elles eussent attiré leur attention. I was afraid they had attracted their attention.

Other Conjugations for Attirer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb attirer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Attirer – 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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