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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb empalmer

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The English translation of the French verb empalmer is “to palm” or “to conceal in one’s hand.” It is pronounced as “ahm-pahl-may.”

The word empalmer comes from the French word “palme,” which means “palm.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past.

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

  1. J’avais empalmé la clé avant qu’ils ne la remarquent. (I had palmed the key before they noticed it.)

  2. Tu avais empalmé l’argent sans que personne ne s’en aperçoive. (You had concealed the money without anyone noticing.)

  3. Elle avait empalmé le bijou pendant que je parlais avec elle. (She had palmed the jewel while I was talking to her.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais empalmé J’avais empalmé les cartes. I had palmed the cards.
tu tu avais empalmé Tu avais empalmé les billets. You had palmed the tickets.
il il avait empalmé Il avait empalmé les clés. He had palmed the keys.
elle elle avait empalmé Elle avait empalmé le téléphone. She had palmed the phone.
on on avait empalmé On avait empalmé l’argent. One had palmed the money.
nous nous avions empalmé Nous avions empalmé les bijoux. We had palmed the jewelry.
vous vous aviez empalmé Vous aviez empalmé le portefeuille. You had palmed the wallet.
ils ils avaient empalmé Ils avaient empalmé les documents. They had palmed the documents.
elles elles avaient empalmé Elles avaient empalmé la caméra. They had palmed the camera.

Other Conjugations for Empalmer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empalmer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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