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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb installer

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The English translation of the French verb installer is “to install.” The infinitive form is pronounced “ahn-stah-leh.”

The word installer comes from the Latin word “installare” which means “to place into a position.” It entered the French language in the 16th century and has been used in its current form since the 19th century. It is most often used in everyday French to refer to the act of setting up or placing something in a specific location or position.

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, installer is used to express a past action or event that is considered hypothetical or uncertain. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense followed by the past participle of installer, which is “installé.”

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

  1. J’espérais que tu aies installé le nouveau système de sécurité avant que les voleurs ne frappent. (I was hoping that you had installed the new security system before the burglars struck.)
  2. Il fallait que nous eussions installé les équipements électriques avant que l’hiver ne commence. (We had to have installed the electrical equipment before winter started.)
  3. Je regrette que vous n’ayez pas installé les nouvelles décorations pour la fête de Noël l’année dernière. (I regret that you didn’t install the new decorations for Christmas last year.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse installé Je regrette que je eusse installé. I regret that I had installed.
tu eusses installé Je regrette que tu eusses installé. I regret that you had installed.
il eût installé Je regrette qu’il eût installé. I regret that he had installed.
elle eût installé Je regrette qu’elle eût installé. I regret that she had installed.
on eût installé Je regrette qu’on eût installé. I regret that one had installed.
nous eussions installé Je regrette que nous eussions installé. I regret that we had installed.
vous eussiez installé Je regrette que vous eussiez installé. I regret that you had installed.
ils eussent installé Je regrette qu’ils eussent installé. I regret that they had installed.
elles eussent installé Je regrette qu’elles eussent installé. I regret that they had installed.

Other Conjugations for Installer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb installer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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