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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb empercher

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of empercher. 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 empercher is “to prevent” or “to hinder.” It is pronounced as “ahm-pehr-shay.”

The verb empercher comes from the Old French word “empechier” meaning “to hinder” or “to impede.” It is derived from the Latin word “impedicare” which means “to entangle” or “to obstruct.”

In everyday French, empercher is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to express an action that had been prevented or hindered in the past.

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

  1. J’avais empêché mon frère de parler à mes amis. (I had prevented my brother from talking to my friends.)
  2. Tu avais empêché le chien de sortir de la maison. (You had hindered the dog from leaving the house.)
  3. Il avait empêché sa sœur de se marier avec cet homme. (He had prevented his sister from marrying that man.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais empêché J’avais empêché la catastrophe. I had prevented the disaster.
tu tu avais empêché Tu avais empêché l’accident. You had prevented the accident.
il il avait empêché Il avait empêché le vol. He had prevented the theft.
elle elle avait empêché Elle avait empêché l’incident. She had prevented the incident.
on on avait empêché On avait empêché la panne. One had prevented the breakdown.
nous nous avions empêché Nous avions empêché la fuite. We had prevented the leak.
vous vous aviez empêché Vous aviez empêché le désastre. You had prevented the disaster.
ils ils avaient empêché Ils avaient empêché le cambriolage. They had prevented the burglary.
elles elles avaient empêché Elles avaient empêché le désordre. They had prevented the disorder.

Other Conjugations for Empercher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empercher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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 empercher Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts