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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb enflammer

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The English translation of the French verb enflammer is “to ignite” or “to inflame.” It is pronounced as “ahn-flah-may.”

Enflammer comes from the Old French word “enflamener,” which is derived from the Latin word “inflamare,” meaning “to set on fire.” In modern French, it is most often used to describe the act of setting something on fire or causing intense feelings or passion.

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, enflammer is conjugated as “j’eusse enflammé, tu eusses enflammé, il/elle eût enflammé, nous eussions enflammé, vous eussiez enflammé, ils/elles eussent enflammé.”

Here are 3 simple examples of enflammer in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, with their English translations:

  1. Il fallait que j’eusse enflammé la cheminée avant que les invités arrivent. (I had to have lit the fireplace before the guests arrived.)

  2. Elle regrettait que tu eusses enflammé la discussion en mentionnant ce sujet sensible. (She regretted that you had inflamed the discussion by mentioning that sensitive topic.)

  3. J’aurais aimé que nous eussions enflammé la foule avec notre discours passionné. (I wish we had ignited the crowd with our passionate speech.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse enflammé J’aurais préféré que je eusse enflammé le feu. I wish I had lit the fire.
tu eusses enflammé J’aurais préféré que tu eusses enflammé le feu. I wish you had lit the fire.
il eût enflammé J’aurais préféré qu’il eût enflammé le feu. I wish he had lit the fire.
elle eût enflammé J’aurais préféré qu’elle eût enflammé le feu. I wish she had lit the fire.
on eût enflammé J’aurais préféré qu’on eût enflammé le feu. I wish one had lit the fire.
nous eussions enflammé J’aurais préféré que nous eussions enflammé le feu. I wish we had lit the fire.
vous eussiez enflammé J’aurais préféré que vous eussiez enflammé le feu. I wish you had lit the fire.
ils eussent enflammé J’aurais préféré qu’ils eussent enflammé le feu. I wish they had lit the fire.
elles eussent enflammé J’aurais préféré qu’elles eussent enflammé le feu. I wish they had lit the fire.

Other Conjugations for Enflammer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb enflammer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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