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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb embéguiner

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The English translation of the French verb embéguiner is “to deceive” or “to trick.” It is pronounced as ahm-beh-ghee-nay in its infinitive form.

The origin of embéguiner can be traced back to the French word “béguin,” which refers to a type of hooded cap worn by beggars and tricksters in the Middle Ages. Over time, the word evolved to mean “to hoodwink” or “to dupe.” Today, embéguiner is most commonly used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past subjunctive tense. This tense is used to express actions that were completed in the past but that may or may not have actually happened.

Some examples of embéguiner in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense include:

  1. J’avais embéguiné mes parents pour qu’ils m’achètent une nouvelle voiture. (I had tricked my parents into buying me a new car.)
  2. Elle nous avait embéguinés avec ses belles paroles, mais nous avons découvert son vrai visage. (She had deceived us with her sweet words, but we discovered her true face.)
  3. Ils m’avaient embéguiné en me promettant un poste important, mais je me suis retrouvé avec un travail ennuyeux. (They had tricked me by promising me an important position, but I ended up with a boring job.)

In these examples, the verb embéguiner is used to describe a past action that was completed and had an effect on the present. The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is often used in storytelling or to express regret about past actions.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Embéguiner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embéguiner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Embéguiner – 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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