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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb ensorceler

Get the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) tense conjugation of ensorceler. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb ensorceler is “to bewitch” or “to cast a spell on.” It is pronounced as “ahn-sor-suh-lay.”

The language origin of ensorceler can be traced back to the Old French word “ensorcerer,” which comes from the Latin word “in-,” meaning “in” or “into,” and “sortilegium,” meaning “witchcraft” or “divination by lot.”

In every day French, ensorceler is often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses an action that is completed before another action in the past. It is formed by using the subjunctive past tense of “avoir” or “être,” followed by the past participle of the verb.

Three simple examples of ensorceler in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense and their English translations are:

  1. Il était convaincu que son voisin l’avait ensorcelé avant qu’il ne se rende compte de la réalité. (He was convinced that his neighbor had bewitched him before he realized the truth.)

  2. Nous avions peur que la sorcière nous ait ensorcelés pendant notre sommeil. (We were afraid that the witch had cast a spell on us while we were asleep.)

  3. Elle avait l’impression que ses amis l’avaient ensorcelée pour la faire tomber amoureuse d’un inconnu. (She had the feeling that her friends had bewitched her to fall in love with a stranger.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse ensorcelé Il aurait fallu que je eusse ensorcelé la princesse pour qu’elle tombe amoureuse de moi. I would have had to enchant the princess for her to fall in love with me.
tu eusses ensorcelé Si tu avais ensorcelé le prince, il n’aurait jamais quitté le royaume. If you had bewitched the prince, he would have never left the kingdom.
il eût ensorcelé Si le magicien avait ensorcelé le dragon, il n’aurait plus été un danger pour le village. If the wizard had enchanted the dragon, it would no longer have been a danger for the village.
elle eût ensorcelé J’aurais aimé qu’elle eût ensorcelé ma mère, peut-être qu’elle aurait enfin accepté mon choix de carrière. I wish she had bewitched my mother, maybe she would have finally accepted my career choice.
on eût ensorcelé Si on avait ensorcelé le roi, il aurait peut-être été plus clément envers ses sujets. If one had bewitched the king, he might have been more merciful towards his subjects.
nous eussions ensorcelé Si nous avions ensorcelé les ennemis, nous aurions gagné la bataille. If we had enchanted the enemies, we would have won the battle.
vous eussiez ensorcelé Si vous aviez ensorcelé la reine, elle aurait peut-être changé ses lois injustes. If you had bewitched the queen, she might have changed her unjust laws.
ils eussent ensorcelé Si les sorcières avaient ensorcelé le village, il aurait été plongé dans le chaos. If the witches had bewitched the village, it would have been plunged into chaos.
elles eussent ensorcelé Si elles avaient ensorcelé les fruits, ils auraient été immangeables. If they had bewitched the fruits, they would have been inedible.

Other Conjugations for Ensorceler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ensorceler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
   

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the ensorceler Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts

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

ByMichael Burns

The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) tense conjugation of déminéraliser. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required).