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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb embroussailler

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of embroussailler. 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 embroussailler is “to become tangled” or “to get tangled up.” The infinitive form of embroussailler is pronounced ahm-broo-sah-yay.

The word embroussailler comes from the French words “embroussaillement,” meaning overgrowth or tangled vegetation, and “broussaille,” meaning scrub or brush. It is derived from the Old French word “brousse,” meaning thicket or underbrush.

In everyday French, embroussailler is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to indicate an action that occurred before another past action. It is often used to describe a situation that became complicated or tangled in the past.

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

  1. J’Ă©tais embroussaillĂ© dans les fils Ă©lectriques. (I had become tangled in the electrical wires.)

  2. Tu t’Ă©tais embroussaillĂ© dans tes mensonges. (You had become entangled in your lies.)

  3. Il s’Ă©tait embroussaillĂ© dans ses relations amoureuses. (He had become tangled in his romantic relationships.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais embroussaillĂ© J’avais embroussaillĂ© mon jardin. I had tangled up my garden.
tu tu avais embroussaillé Tu avais embroussaillé ton sac. You had tangled up your bag.
il il avait embroussaillĂ© Il avait embroussaillĂ© la forĂȘt. He had tangled up the forest.
elle elle avait embroussaillé Elle avait embroussaillé ses cheveux. She had tangled up her hair.
on on avait embroussaillé On avait embroussaillé le chemin. One had tangled up the path.
nous nous avions embroussaillé Nous avions embroussaillé le terrain. We had tangled up the land.
vous vous aviez embroussaillé Vous aviez embroussaillé le jardin. You had tangled up the garden.
ils ils avaient embroussaillé Ils avaient embroussaillé les cùbles. They had tangled up the wires.
elles elles avaient embroussaillé Elles avaient embroussaillé les fils. They had tangled up the threads.

Other Conjugations for Embroussailler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embroussailler
   

    PassĂ© Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embroussailler
   

    PassĂ© ComposĂ© (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embroussailler
   

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

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

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

    PassĂ© AntĂ©rieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embroussailler

    Futur AntĂ©rieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embroussailler

    Subjonctif PrĂ©sent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embroussailler

    Subjonctif PassĂ© (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embroussailler
   

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

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

    Conditionnel PrĂ©sent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embroussailler
   

    Conditionnel PassĂ© (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embroussailler

    L’impĂ©ratif PrĂ©sent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embroussailler

    L’infinitif PrĂ©sent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb embroussailler

    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 đŸ”„

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

Embroussailler – 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 “ĂȘtre” (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 mangĂ© (I had eaten)
   – Tu avais parlĂ© (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 jouĂ© (They had played)
2. With “ĂȘtre” as the auxiliary verb (usually for intransitive verbs or verbs indicating a state):
   – J’Ă©tais parti(e) (I had left)
   – Tu Ă©tais arrivĂ©(e) (You had arrived)
   – Il/elle/on Ă©tait tombĂ©(e) (He/She/One had fallen)
   – Nous Ă©tions restĂ©(e)s (We had stayed)
   – Vous Ă©tiez nĂ©(e)(s) (You had been born)
   – Ils/elles Ă©taient montĂ©(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 mangĂ© avant qu’il ne soit arrivĂ©” (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 arrivĂ©, ils avaient dĂ©jĂ  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 passĂ© composĂ© (simple past) to establish the sequence of past events. The passĂ© composĂ© 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 diffĂ©remment” (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 embroussailler. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

Similar Posts