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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb embarder

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The English translation of the French verb embarder is “to veer” or “to swerve”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “ahn-bar-day”.

The origin of the word embarder can be traced back to the Old French word “bârde” meaning “to tilt or sway”. It was later adapted from the Latin word “bardus” meaning “slow or dull”.

In everyday French, embarder is often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense (past perfect) to describe an action that had already happened before another action in the past. It is typically used in written or formal speech.

Here are three examples of its usage in the Plus-que-parfait tense, with their English translations:

  1. Il avait embardé soudainement et avait perdu le contrôle du véhicule. (He had suddenly veered and lost control of the vehicle.)
  2. Elle m’avait raconté qu’elle avait embardé à cause du verglas. (She had told me that she had swerved because of black ice.)
  3. J’avais embardé sur la glace et je m’étais blessé à la cheville. (I had veered on the ice and injured my ankle.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais embardé J’avais embardé dans le virage. I had swerved in the turn.
tu tu avais embardé Tu avais embardé brusquement. You had swerved abruptly.
il il avait embardé Il avait embardé pour éviter l’obstacle. He had swerved to avoid the obstacle.
elle elle avait embardé Elle avait embardé en freinant. She had swerved while braking.
on on avait embardé On avait embardé pour éviter l’accident. One had swerved to avoid the accident.
nous nous avions embardé Nous avions embardé pour prendre la sortie. We had swerved to take the exit.
vous vous aviez embardé Vous aviez embardé dans la courbe. You had swerved in the curve.
ils ils avaient embardé Ils avaient embardé en dérapant. They had swerved while skidding.
elles elles avaient embardé Elles avaient embardé à cause du verglas. They had swerved because of the black ice.

Other Conjugations for Embarder.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embarder
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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