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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb embarrer

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The English translation of the French verb embarrer is “to block” or “to barricade.” It is pronounced as “AHM-bah-ray.”

The word “embarrer” comes from the Old French word “se embarrer,” which means “to enclose” or “to obstruct.” It is most often used in everyday French to describe the action of creating a barrier or obstacle.

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, embarrer is used to express a hypothetical action that occurred in the past, before another past action. It is often used in conjunction with the French word “aurait,” which means “would have.”

Here are three simple examples of embarrer being used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. Ils auraient embarré la rue avant que la manifestation ne commence. (They would have barricaded the street before the protest began.)

  2. Elle aurait embarré la porte pour empêcher les enfants de sortir. (She would have blocked the door to prevent the children from leaving.)

  3. Nous aurions embarré la porte d’entrée pour éviter les cambrioleurs. (We would have barricaded the front door to avoid burglars.)

In each of these examples, the verb embarrer is used to describe a hypothetical action that was completed before a specified past event. The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is often used in French to express regret, doubt, or uncertainty about a past action or event.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Embarrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embarrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Embarrer – 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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