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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb embarquer

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The English translation of the French verb embarquer is “to embark” or “to board”. It is pronounced as “ahm-bar-kay” in the infinitive form.

The word embarquer comes from the Old French word “embarc”, which is derived from the Latin word “imbarcare” meaning “to put onto a ship”. It was originally used in the context of maritime travel, but its usage has expanded to include any form of boarding or getting on a mode of transportation.

In everyday French, embarquer is commonly used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to express an action that was completed before another past action. For example, “I had boarded the bus before it started to rain.”

Here are 3 simple examples of embarquer in the Plus-que-parfait tense with their English translations:

  1. J’avais embarqué sur le bateau avant qu’il ne quitte le port. (I had boarded the boat before it left the port.)
  2. Nous avions embarqué nos bagages dans l’avion avant de monter à bord. (We had loaded our luggage onto the plane before getting on board.)
  3. Ils avaient embarqué leurs vélos dans le train avant que celui-ci ne parte. (They had put their bikes on the train before it departed.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais embarqué J’avais embarqué mes valises. I had boarded my luggage.
tu tu avais embarqué Tu avais embarqué ton sac à dos. You had boarded your backpack.
il il avait embarqué Il avait embarqué ses passagers. He had boarded his passengers.
elle elle avait embarqué Elle avait embarqué ses valises. She had boarded her luggage.
on on avait embarqué On avait embarqué les marchandises. One had boarded the goods.
nous nous avions embarqué Nous avions embarqué sur le bateau. We had boarded the boat.
vous vous aviez embarqué Vous aviez embarqué sur l’avion. You had boarded the plane.
ils ils avaient embarqué Ils avaient embarqué leurs vélos. They had boarded their bikes.
elles elles avaient embarqué Elles avaient embarqué sur le train. They had boarded the train.

Other Conjugations for Embarquer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embarquer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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