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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb emprisonner

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The English translation of the French verb emprisonner is “to imprison” or “to put in prison.” The infinitive form of the verb is pronounced as ahm-pree-zoh-nay.

The word emprisonner is derived from the Latin word “prisonis,” meaning “prison.” It entered the French language in the 12th century and is a compound of the prefix “em-” (meaning “in”) and the word “prison.”

In everyday French, emprisonner is often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses an event that happened before another event in the past. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Plus-que-parfait tense followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Examples of emprisonner in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. Il est possible que j’eusse été emprisonné avant de finir mon travail. (It is possible that I had been imprisoned before finishing my work.)

  2. Nous avions peur qu’elle eût été emprisonnée avant d’obtenir son diplôme. (We were afraid that she had been imprisoned before obtaining her diploma.)

  3. J’aimerais que tu eusses été emprisonné plutôt que de rester libre. (I would have liked for you to have been imprisoned rather than remaining free.)

  4. It is possible that I had been imprisoned before finishing my work.

  5. We were afraid that she had been imprisoned before obtaining her diploma.

  6. I would have liked for you to have been imprisoned rather than remaining free.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse emprisonné J’ai regretté que je eusse emprisonné le voleur. I regretted that I had imprisoned the thief.
tu eusses emprisonné J’ai regretté que tu eusses emprisonné le voleur. I regretted that you had imprisoned the thief.
il eût emprisonné J’ai regretté qu’il eût emprisonné le voleur. I regretted that he had imprisoned the thief.
elle eût emprisonné J’ai regretté qu’elle eût emprisonné le voleur. I regretted that she had imprisoned the thief.
on eût emprisonné J’ai regretté qu’on eût emprisonné le voleur. I regretted that one had imprisoned the thief.
nous eussions emprisonné J’ai regretté que nous eussions emprisonné le voleur. I regretted that we had imprisoned the thief.
vous eussiez emprisonné J’ai regretté que vous eussiez emprisonné le voleur. I regretted that you had imprisoned the thief.
ils eussent emprisonné J’ai regretté qu’ils eussent emprisonné le voleur. I regretted that they had imprisoned the thief.
elles eussent emprisonné J’ai regretté qu’elles eussent emprisonné le voleur. I regretted that they had imprisoned the thief.

Other Conjugations for Emprisonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb emprisonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Emprisonner – 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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