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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb ensaboter

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The English translation of the French verb ensaboter is “to sabotage.” It is pronounced as “ahn-sah-boh-tay” in the infinitive form.

The origin of the word ensaboter can be traced back to the French word “saboter,” which means “to ruin or damage.” It comes from the word “sabot,” which refers to a wooden shoe traditionally worn by French peasants. The term “sabotage” was first used during the Industrial Revolution, when workers would throw their wooden shoes into machinery to disrupt production.

In everyday French, the verb ensaboter is used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express an action that was completed before another action in the past. It is often used in formal or literary language.

Here are three simple examples of ensaboter used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais ensaboté le projet avant qu’il ne soit présenté à la réunion. (I had sabotaged the project before it was presented at the meeting.)
  2. Elle avait peur que son collègue ait ensaboté son travail pendant son absence. (She was afraid her colleague had sabotaged her work while she was away.)
  3. Nous avions peur que la grève n’ait ensaboté nos plans de vacances. (We were afraid the strike had sabotaged our vacation plans.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Ensaboter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ensaboter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Ensaboter – 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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