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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb empenner

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The English translation of the French verb empenner is “to feather” or “to put feathers on.” It is pronounced as “ahn-puhn-ay.”

The origin of the word empenner can be traced back to the Old French word “empener,” which meant “to furnish with feathers.” It comes from the Latin word “penna,” meaning “feather.”

In everyday French, empenner is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses a past action that is hypothetical or uncertain. This tense is formed by using the subjunctive form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Here are three examples of how empenner can be used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. Il aurait fallu que tu aies empenné les flèches avant de partir à la chasse. (You should have feathered the arrows before going hunting.)
  2. J’aurais aimé que nous ayons empenné ces costumes pour le spectacle. (I would have liked for us to have feathered these costumes for the show.)
  3. Il aurait été préférable que vous ayez empenné les ailes de l’avion avant le décollage. (It would have been better if you had feathered the wings of the plane before takeoff.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Empenner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empenner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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