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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb embroussailler

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The English translation of the French verb embroussailler is “to tangle”, “to get tangled up” or “to make something tangled.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “ahm-broo-sah-yay.”

Embroussailler comes from the French word “embroussaillement” which means “tangle” or “entanglement.” It is formed by combining the prefix “em-” meaning “in” or “into,” and the word “broussaille” which means “undergrowth” or “brush.” Therefore, embroussailler can be literally translated as “to get into the brush.”

In everyday French usage, embroussailler is often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical action or situation that occurred before another action in the past. It is commonly used in formal or literary contexts.

Example 1: J’étais en retard car mon chien s’était embroussaillé dans sa laisse. (I was late because my dog had gotten tangled up in his leash.)

Example 2: Il était stressé car il avait embroussaillé ses affaires avant l’entretien. (He was stressed because he had tangled up his things before the interview.)

Example 3: Elle avait les cheveux embroussaillés à cause du vent. (Her hair was tangled up because of the wind.)

English translations:

  1. I was late because my dog had gotten tangled up in his leash.
  2. He was stressed because he had tangled up his things before the interview.
  3. Her hair was tangled up because of the wind.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Embroussailler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embroussailler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Embroussailler – 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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