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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb engouffrer

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The English translation of the French verb engouffrer is “to engulf” or “to swallow up.” The infinitive form of engouffrer is pronounced as “ahn-goo-freh.”

The language origin of engouffrer can be traced back to the Old French word “engouffrer,” which comes from the prefix “en” meaning “in” and the word “gouffre” meaning “chasm” or “abyss.” It is most often used in everyday French to describe something being quickly consumed or taken over, either literally or figuratively.

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, engouffrer is used to express a hypothetical past action that did not actually happen. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense followed by the past participle of engouffrer. For example:

  1. J’aurais engouffré tout le gâteau si j’avais eu plus de temps. (I would have engulfed the whole cake if I had more time.)

  2. Il aurait engouffré toute sa fortune dans cette entreprise s’il en avait eu l’opportunité. (He would have swallowed up all his fortune in this business if he had the opportunity.)

  3. Nous aurions engouffré les bonbons en une seule soirée si nous n’avions pas dû les partager avec les enfants. (We would have devoured the candies in one evening if we didn’t have to share them with the kids.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse engouffré J’aurais aimé que je eusse engouffré. I wish I had swallowed.
tu eusses engouffré J’aurais aimé que tu eusses engouffré. I wish you had swallowed.
il eût engouffré J’aurais aimé qu’il eût engouffré. I wish he had swallowed.
elle eût engouffré J’aurais aimé qu’elle eût engouffré. I wish she had swallowed.
on eût engouffré J’aurais aimé qu’on eût engouffré. I wish one had swallowed.
nous eussions engouffré J’aurais aimé que nous eussions engouffré. I wish we had swallowed.
vous eussiez engouffré J’aurais aimé que vous eussiez engouffré. I wish you had swallowed.
ils eussent engouffré J’aurais aimé qu’ils eussent engouffré. I wish they had swallowed.
elles eussent engouffré J’aurais aimé qu’elles eussent engouffré. I wish they had swallowed.

Other Conjugations for Engouffrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb engouffrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Engouffrer – 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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