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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb embrayer

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of embrayer. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb embrayer is “to engage” or “to shift gears.” It is pronounced as “ahm-breh-yay.”

The word embrayer comes from the French word “brayer,” meaning “to put in motion,” and the prefix “en-” which indicates action. It is most often used in everyday French to refer to the action of shifting gears in a vehicle, but it can also have a more general meaning of “to engage” or “to get involved.”

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, embrayer is used to talk about an action that had already been completed in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. J’avais embrayé sur la mauvaise piste et j’ai dû faire demi-tour. (I had engaged in the wrong track and had to turn back.)
  2. Nous avions embrayé dans une conversation passionnante lorsque le téléphone a sonné. (We had gotten involved in an exciting conversation when the phone rang.)
  3. Ils avaient embrayé dans une dispute sans même s’en rendre compte. (They had gotten into an argument without even realizing it.)

In these examples, the action of “engaging” or “getting involved” had already been completed before another event took place.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais embrayé J’avais embrayé la voiture. I had shifted gears in the car.
tu tu avais embrayé Tu avais embrayé le vélo. You had engaged the bike.
il il avait embrayé Il avait embrayé le camion. He had engaged the truck.
elle elle avait embrayé Elle avait embrayé la moto. She had shifted gears in the motorcycle.
on on avait embrayé On avait embrayé le tracteur. One had engaged the tractor.
nous nous avions embrayé Nous avions embrayé le bateau. We had engaged the boat.
vous vous aviez embrayé Vous aviez embrayé le train. You had shifted gears in the train.
ils ils avaient embrayé Ils avaient embrayé l’avion. They had engaged the plane.
elles elles avaient embrayé Elles avaient embrayé le bus. They had shifted gears in the bus.

Other Conjugations for Embrayer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embrayer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the embrayer Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts