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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb agenouiller

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The English translation of the French verb agenouiller is “to kneel.” It is pronounced “ah-zhe-noo-yay.”

The word agenouiller comes from the Old French word “agenouillier,” which is derived from the Latin words “ad” meaning “toward” and “genu” meaning “knee.” It is used in everyday French to describe the action of kneeling down on one or both knees. It can also be used figuratively to mean lowering oneself in a position of humility.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, agenouiller is used to describe an action that had been completed before another past action. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. J’avais agenouillé devant l’autel avant que le mariage ne commence.
    Translation: I had knelt in front of the altar before the wedding began.

  2. Tu avais agenouillé devant le roi pour lui demander pardon.
    Translation: You had knelt before the king to ask for forgiveness.

  3. Ils étaient agenouillés devant le tombeau de leur père depuis des heures.
    Translation: They had been kneeling in front of their father’s tomb for hours.

Table of the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of agenouiller

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je m’étais agenouillé Je m’étais agenouillé devant le saint. I had knelt in front of the saint.
tu t’étais agenouillé Tu t’étais agenouillé devant le monument. You had knelt in front of the monument.
il s’était agenouillé Il s’était agenouillé devant la tombe. He had knelt in front of the tomb.
elle s’était agenouillée Elle s’était agenouillée devant l’autel. She had knelt in front of the altar.
on s’était agenouillé On s’était agenouillé devant le prince. One had knelt in front of the prince.
nous nous étions agenouillés Nous étions agenouillés devant le pape. We had knelt in front of the pope.
vous vous étiez agenouillés Vous étiez agenouillés devant l’autel. You had knelt in front of the altar.
ils s’étaient agenouillés Ils s’étaient agenouillés devant la croix. They had knelt in front of the cross.
elles s’étaient agenouillées Elles s’étaient agenouillées devant le roi. They had knelt in front of the king.

Other Conjugations for Agenouiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb agenouiller
   

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

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

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

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

    Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb agenouiller     (this article)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb agenouiller

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

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Agenouiller – About the French Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense

The French “plus-que-parfait” tense is a past tense used to express actions or events that occurred before another past action or event. It is often translated to English as the “pluperfect” tense. The name “plus-que-parfait” literally means “more than perfect,” indicating that it is a tense used to describe actions that were completed before a specific point in the past.
NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Tense Formation

To form the plus-que-parfait tense, you typically use the auxiliary verb “avoir” (to have) or “être” (to be) in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb. Here are the conjugations for both auxiliary verbs:
1. With “avoir” as the auxiliary verb:
   – J’avais mangé (I had eaten)
   – Tu avais parlé (You had spoken)
   – Il/elle/on avait fini (He/She/One had finished)
   – Nous avions lu (We had read)
   – Vous aviez choisi (You had chosen)
   – Ils/elles avaient joué (They had played)
2. With “être” as the auxiliary verb (usually for intransitive verbs or verbs indicating a state):
   – J’étais parti(e) (I had left)
   – Tu étais arrivé(e) (You had arrived)
   – Il/elle/on était tombé(e) (He/She/One had fallen)
   – Nous étions resté(e)s (We had stayed)
   – Vous étiez né(e)(s) (You had been born)
   – Ils/elles étaient monté(e)s (They had gone up)

Common everyday usage patterns

Sequencing of past events

The plus-que-parfait is used to express a past action that happened before another past action. For example, “J’avais mangé avant qu’il ne soit arrivé” (I had eaten before he arrived).

Background information

It is also used to provide background information or set the stage for a main past event. For instance, “Quand je suis arrivé, ils avaient déjà fini de manger” (When I arrived, they had already finished eating).

Hypothetical or reported speech

In indirect speech, the plus-que-parfait is used to report what someone had said or thought in the past. For example, “Il avait dit qu’il viendrait demain” (He had said that he would come tomorrow).

Interactions with other tenses

– The plus-que-parfait is often used in conjunction with the passé composé (simple past) to establish the sequence of past events. The passé composé describes the more recent action, while the plus-que-parfait describes the action that occurred earlier.
– It can also be used with the conditional mood to express a hypothetical past event, like “Si j’avais su, j’aurais agi différemment” (If I had known, I would have acted differently).
– When used in reported speech, it can be combined with the conditional mood or the imperfect subjunctive to reflect the original mood and tense of the reported statement.

Summary

The French plus-que-parfait tense is an essential part of the language for expressing past actions that occurred before other past actions, providing background information, and reporting past statements or thoughts. It is an integral component of constructing complex and accurate narratives in French.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb agenouiller. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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