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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb encrasser

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The English translation of the French verb encrasser is “to clog” or “to dirty.” It is pronounced as “ahn-kra-say” in its infinitive form.

The word encrasser comes from the French prefix “en,” meaning “in” or “into,” and the word “crasse,” meaning “dirt” or “filth.” It is most often used in everyday French to describe something that is dirty or clogged, especially in relation to mechanical or technical objects.

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, encrasser is conjugated as “j’avais encrassé,” which translates to “I had clogged/dirtied.” Here are three examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. Il est évident que j’avais encrassé le moteur de la voiture à force de rouler dans la boue. (It is obvious that I had clogged the car’s engine by driving through mud.)

  2. Nous avions encrassé la tuyauterie en jetant des déchets dans l’évier. (We had clogged the pipes by throwing garbage down the sink.)

  3. J’avais peur que tu aies encrassé le système informatique en téléchargeant ce logiciel douteux. (I was afraid that you had clogged the computer system by downloading that sketchy software.)

Overall, encrasser is a versatile verb used in everyday French to describe the state of something being dirty or clogged. It is often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express actions that had already been completed in the past, and their potential consequences.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse encrassé Il fallait que je eusse encrassé la voiture avant de la vendre. I should have cleaned the car before selling it.
tu eusses encrassé Il fallait que tu eusses encrassé la voiture avant de la vendre. You should have cleaned the car before selling it.
il eût encrassé Il fallait qu’il eût encrassé la voiture avant de la vendre. He should have cleaned the car before selling it.
elle eût encrassé Il fallait qu’elle eût encrassé la voiture avant de la vendre. She should have cleaned the car before selling it.
on eût encrassé Il fallait qu’on eût encrassé la voiture avant de la vendre. One should have cleaned the car before selling it.
nous eussions encrassé Il fallait que nous eussions encrassé la voiture avant de la vendre. We should have cleaned the car before selling it.
vous eussiez encrassé Il fallait que vous eussiez encrassé la voiture avant de la vendre. You should have cleaned the car before selling it.
ils eussent encrassé Il fallait qu’ils eussent encrassé la voiture avant de la vendre. They should have cleaned the car before selling it.
elles eussent encrassé Il fallait qu’elles eussent encrassé la voiture avant de la vendre. They should have cleaned the car before selling it.

Other Conjugations for Encrasser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb encrasser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Encrasser – 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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