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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb effaner

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The English translation of the French verb effaner is “to scatter” or “to disperse.” The infinitive form of effaner is pronounced as “eh-fa-nay.”

The origin of the word effaner can be traced back to the Latin word “fannum,” which means “fan” or “winnowing basket.” In everyday French, effaner is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is a compound tense that expresses an action that was completed before another action in the past.

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

  1. Ils étaient partis avant que la tempête n’eût effané toutes les feuilles. (They had left before the storm scattered all the leaves.)

  2. J’avais déjà ramassé les affaires avant que le vent n’eût effané tout le sable. (I had already picked up the belongings before the wind scattered all the sand.)

  3. Elle était partie avant que les oiseaux n’eussent effané toutes les graines. (She had left before the birds scattered all the seeds.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Effaner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb effaner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Effaner – 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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