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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb enjoncer

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The English translation of the French verb enjoncer is “to stack” or “to pile up.” It is pronounced as “ahn-john-say” in its infinitive form.

The origin of the word enjoncer can be traced back to the Old French verb “enjoindre” which means “to impose” or “to order.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is a compound tense used to express an action that took place before another action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of how enjoncer is used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais enjoncé les livres avant que tu ne rentres. (I had stacked the books before you came back.)
  2. Il avait enjoncé les assiettes après que nous ayons mangé. (He had piled up the plates after we had eaten.)
  3. Elle avait enjoncé les bûches avant que le feu ne s’éteigne. (She had piled up the logs before the fire went out.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Enjoncer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb enjoncer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Enjoncer – 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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