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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb emmener

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The English translation of the French verb emmener is “to take” or “to bring.” It is pronounced as “eh-muh-nay.”

Emmener comes from the French word “mener,” which means “to lead or guide.” The prefix “em-” adds the meaning of “taking” or “bringing” someone or something with you.

In everyday French, emmener is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to talk about an action that was completed before another action in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais emmené mes enfants au parc avant que la pluie ne commence. (I had taken my children to the park before the rain started.)
  2. Tu avais emmené tes amis à la fête avant que je n’arrive. (You had brought your friends to the party before I arrived.)
  3. Ils avaient emmené leur chien en vacances avec eux. (They had taken their dog on vacation with them.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais emmené J’avais emmené mon ami au cinéma. I had taken my friend to the movies.
tu tu avais emmené Tu avais emmené ton chien à la plage. You had taken your dog to the beach.
il il avait emmené Il avait emmené sa famille en vacances. He had taken his family on vacation.
elle elle avait emmené Elle avait emmené ses enfants au parc. She had taken her children to the park.
on on avait emmené On avait emmené nos vélos à la montagne. We had taken our bikes to the mountains.
nous nous avions emmené Nous avions emmené notre pique-nique. We had taken our picnic.
vous vous aviez emmené Vous aviez emmené vos amis à la fête. You had taken your friends to the party.
ils ils avaient emmené Ils avaient emmené leur équipe de football au match. They had taken their football team to the game.
elles elles avaient emmené Elles avaient emmené leur chat chez le vétérinaire. They had taken their cat to the vet.

Other Conjugations for Emmener.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb emmener
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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