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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb imprégner

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The English translation of the French verb imprégner is “to impregnate.” It is pronounced as “im-prayn-yay” in its infinitive form.

The word “imprégner” comes from the Latin word “impregnare” which means “to fill, saturate.” It entered the French language in the 13th century and has been used in various contexts throughout history. In everyday French, it is most often used in a figurative sense, meaning to deeply influence or impact someone or something.

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, imprégner is used to express a past action that took place before another past action. It is formed by combining the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the Subjonctif Imparfait form with the past participle “imprégné.” For example:

  1. J’avais imprégné l’équipe de ma vision avant le match. (I had impregnated the team with my vision before the game.)
  2. Elle avait imprégné son art de ses expériences de vie. (She had impregnated her art with her life experiences.)
  3. Ils avaient imprégné leur culture de traditions ancestrales. (They had impregnated their culture with ancestral traditions.)

In these examples, the verb imprégner is expressing a past action (imprégné) that was completed before another past action (avais, avait). It is often used in storytelling or when describing a past event or situation.

Overall, imprégner is a versatile verb that can be used in various contexts to describe the deep influence or impact of something or someone. In its Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, it is used to describe a past action that has been completed before another past action.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Imprégner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb imprégner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Imprégner – 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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