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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb en approcher

Get the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) tense conjugation of en approcher. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb en approcher is “to approach.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “ahn a-pro-shay.”

The language origin of en approcher is from the Old French word “approchier,” which comes from the Latin word “appropiare,” meaning “to draw near.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses an action that took place before another past action.

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

  1. J’avais appelé Marie avant que tu n’en approches. (I had called Marie before you approached her.)
  2. Il fallait que nous en approchions doucement pour ne pas l’effrayer. (We had to approach it gently so as not to scare it.)
  3. Avant que les invités n’arrivent, il était nécessaire que je m’en approchasse. (Before the guests arrived, it was necessary for me to approach it.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je fusse approché Si j’avais été plus courageux, je fusse approché de lui. If I had been braver, I would have approached him.
tu fusses approché Si tu avais été plus courageux, tu fusses approché de lui. If you had been braver, you would have approached him.
il fût approché Si je n’avais pas été aussi timide, il fût approché de moi. If I hadn’t been so shy, he would have approached me.
elle fût approchée Si elle n’avait pas été aussi timide, elle fût approchée de moi. If she hadn’t been so shy, she would have approached me.
on fût approché Si on avait été moins méfiant, on fût approché de lui. If we had been less suspicious, we would have approached him.
nous fussions approchés Si nous avions eu plus de temps, nous fussions approchés de lui. If we had had more time, we would have approached him.
vous fussiez approchés Si vous aviez eu plus de temps, vous fussiez approchés de lui. If you had had more time, you would have approached him.
ils fussent approchés Si elles avaient eu plus de temps, elles fussent approchées de lui. If they had had more time, they would have approached him.
elles fussent approchées Si elles avaient eu plus de temps, elles fussent approchées de lui. If they had had more time, they would have approached him.

Other Conjugations for En Approcher.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb en approcher
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb en approcher
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb en approcher
   

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

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb en approcher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the en approcher Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

En Approcher – 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 en approcher. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

Similar Posts

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

ByMichael Burns

The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) tense conjugation of déscolariser. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required).