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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb enthousiasmer

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The English translation of the French verb enthousiasmer is “to excite” or “to thrill.” It is pronounced as ahn-too-zee-ah-zmeh.

The word enthousiasmer is derived from the Greek word “entheos” meaning “possessed by a god,” and the French suffix “-er” which indicates the infinitive form of a verb. It first appeared in the French language in the 17th century and has since been used to describe a strong feeling of excitement or enthusiasm.

In everyday French, the verb enthousiasmer is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express a past unrealized action or a past possibility. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the plus-que-parfait tense followed by the past participle of the verb enthousiasmer.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense with their respective English translations:

  1. J’aurais été enthousiasmé si j’avais vu ce spectacle. (I would have been excited if I had seen this show.)
  2. Elle aurait été enthousiasmée par cette nouvelle opportunité. (She would have been thrilled by this new opportunity.)
  3. Nous serions restés enthousiasmés toute la nuit si nous avions gagné le match. (We would have remained excited all night if we had won the game.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Enthousiasmer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb enthousiasmer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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