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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb embreler

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The English translation of the French verb embreler is “to entangle” or “to tangle.” The infinitive form is pronounced as ahm-breh-le.

The word embreler comes from the Old French verb “embreler” meaning “to braid” or “to become tangled.” It can also be traced back to the Latin word “inbracare” meaning “to entwine.”

In everyday French, embreler is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to talk about actions that were completed before another past action or at a specific point in the past.

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

  1. J’avais embrelé mes cheveux avant de sortir. (I had braided my hair before going out.)

  2. Tu avais embrelé les fils électriques sans faire attention. (You had tangled the electrical wires without paying attention.)

  3. Elle avait embrelé sa langue en essayant de parler en même temps. (She had got her tongue tangled while trying to speak at the same time.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais embrelé J’avais embrelé le problème. I had tangled up the problem.
tu tu avais embrelé Tu avais embrelé le fil. You had tangled up the thread.
il il avait embrelé Il avait embrelé ses cheveux. He had tangled up his hair.
elle elle avait embrelé Elle avait embrelé ses lacets. She had tangled up her shoelaces.
on on avait embrelé On avait embrelé les câbles. One had tangled up the cables.
nous nous avions embrelé Nous avions embrelé nos lignes. We had tangled up our lines.
vous vous aviez embrelé Vous aviez embrelé les fils. You had tangled up the wires.
ils ils avaient embrelé Ils avaient embrelé les cordes. They had tangled up the ropes.
elles elles avaient embrelé Elles avaient embrelé le réseau. They had tangled up the network.

Other Conjugations for Embreler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embreler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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