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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb encenser

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The English translation of the French verb encenser is “to incense” or “to praise.” The infinitive form is pronounced “ahn-sahn-seh.”

The verb encenser comes from the Latin word “incensare,” meaning “to set on fire” or “to burn incense.” It first appeared in French in the 12th century with the meaning of “to honor with incense.” Over time, its meaning evolved to include praising or glorifying someone or something.

In everyday French, encenser is often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past subjunctive tense used to express an action that took place before another past action or event. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, followed by the past participle of the verb.

Example 1: J’aurais encensé ce livre si j’avais eu le temps.
English translation: I would have praised this book if I had had time.

Example 2: Tu serais encensé par toute la classe si tu avais réussi l’examen.
English translation: You would have been praised by the whole class if you had passed the exam.

Example 3: Ils auraient encensé ce restaurant s’ils avaient aimé la nourriture.
English translation: They would have praised this restaurant if they had liked the food.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse encensé J’aurais préféré que je eusse encensé. I would have preferred that I had praised.
tu eusses encensé J’aurais préféré que tu eusses encensé. I would have preferred that you had praised.
il eût encensé J’aurais préféré qu’il eût encensé. I would have preferred that he had praised.
elle eût encensé J’aurais préféré qu’elle eût encensé. I would have preferred that she had praised.
on eût encensé J’aurais préféré qu’on eût encensé. I would have preferred that one had praised.
nous eussions encensé J’aurais préféré que nous eussions encensé. I would have preferred that we had praised.
vous eussiez encensé J’aurais préféré que vous eussiez encensé. I would have preferred that you had praised.
ils eussent encensé J’aurais préféré qu’ils eussent encensé. I would have preferred that they had praised.
elles eussent encensé J’aurais préféré qu’elles eussent encensé. I would have preferred that they had praised.

Other Conjugations for Encenser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb encenser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Encenser – 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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