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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb huiler

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The English translation of the French verb huiler is “to oil.” The infinitive form of huiler is pronounced “wee-lay.”

The word huiler comes from the Old French word “huile,” meaning “oil.” It is most commonly used in every day French to refer to the action of applying or using oil on something, such as a machine or vehicle. In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, huiler expresses a hypothetical action that would have been completed in the past if certain conditions had been met.

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

  1. Si j’avais su que le moteur était sec, je l’aurais huilé régulièrement. (If I had known that the engine was dry, I would have oiled it regularly.)
  2. Il aurait fallu que tu huiles les charnières avant qu’elles ne rouillent. (You should have oiled the hinges before they rusted.)
  3. Nous aurions aimé que les employés aient huilé les rouages de la machine avant de la mettre en marche. (We would have liked the employees to have oiled the gears of the machine before starting it up.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse huilé J’aurais préféré que je eusse huilé. I would have preferred that I had oiled.
tu eusses huilé J’aurais préféré que tu eusses huilé. I would have preferred that you had oiled.
il eût huilé J’aurais préféré qu’il eût huilé. I would have preferred that he had oiled.
elle eût huilé J’aurais préféré qu’elle eût huilé. I would have preferred that she had oiled.
on eût huilé J’aurais préféré qu’on eût huilé. I would have preferred that one had oiled.
nous eussions huilé J’aurais préféré que nous eussions huilé. I would have preferred that we had oiled.
vous eussiez huilé J’aurais préféré que vous eussiez huilé. I would have preferred that you had oiled.
ils eussent huilé J’aurais préféré qu’ils eussent huilé. I would have preferred that they had oiled.
elles eussent huilé J’aurais préféré qu’elles eussent huilé. I would have preferred that they had oiled.

Other Conjugations for Huiler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb huiler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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