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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb empatter

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The English translation of the French verb empatter is “to tangle” or “to snarl.” The infinitive form is pronounced as ahm-pah-teh.

The word empatter is derived from the French word “pâte,” meaning dough or paste. It is often used to describe the action of getting something tangled or knotted, similar to the way dough can get tangled or clumped together.

In everyday French, empatter is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is used to talk about a hypothesis or a possibility in the past. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the past subjunctive form, followed by the past participle of the verb.

Here are three simple examples of empatter in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, with their respective translations:

  1. J’avais peur qu’elle se soit empattée dans les fils électriques. (I was afraid she had tangled herself in the electrical wires.)
  2. Il était possible qu’ils se soient empattés dans cette affaire compliquée. (It was possible they had gotten tangled up in this complicated case.)
  3. Je ne savais pas que tu t’étais empatté dans tes propres mensonges. (I didn’t know you had gotten tangled in your own lies.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Empatter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empatter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Empatter – 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 empatter. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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