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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb empaler

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The English translation of the French verb empaler is “to impale.” It is pronounced as “ahn-pah-lay.”

The word empaler comes from the Old French word empaler, which means “to stake” or “to impale.” It ultimately derives from the Latin word palus, meaning “stake.” Empaler is most commonly used in its literal sense, meaning to pierce or fix something on a stake or sharp object.

In everyday French, empaler is not often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, as this is a more formal tense and is usually reserved for written communication. However, it may be used in formal or literary contexts to express a past action that would have been completed at an earlier point in time.

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

  1. Il avait empalé le morceau de viande avant que nous arrivions. (He had impaled the piece of meat before we arrived.)

  2. Les chevaliers auraient empalé leurs ennemis lors des batailles. (The knights would have impaled their enemies during battles.)

  3. Elle aurait empalé son cœur avec un couteau si elle avait su la vérité. (She would have impaled her heart with a knife if she had known the truth.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Empaler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empaler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
   

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Empaler – 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.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb empaler. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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