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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb empester

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The English translation of the French verb empester is “to annoy” or “to bother.” It is pronounced as [ɑ̃.pɛs.te] in its infinitive form.

The origin of empester can be traced back to the Latin word impastare, meaning “to encumber.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to describe an action that happened before another past action.

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

  1. J’avais empesté mon frère toute la journée avant qu’il ne craque et se mette en colère. (I had been annoying my brother all day before he snapped and got angry.)
  2. Les enfants avaient empesté leurs parents jusqu’à ce qu’ils cèdent et leur achètent un nouveau jeu. (The children had been bothering their parents until they gave in and bought them a new game.)
  3. Elle avait empesté ses collègues avec ses questions incessantes jusqu’à ce qu’ils la renvoient chez elle. (She had been pestering her colleagues with her constant questions until they sent her home.)

In each of these examples, the action of “annoying” or “bothering” happened before another past action (the brother getting angry, the parents giving in, and the colleagues sending the person home). The Plus-que-parfait tense is used to show the duration of the action, emphasizing that it had been ongoing before the other event occurred.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais empesté J’avais empesté la pièce. I had filled the room with a bad smell.
tu tu avais empesté Tu avais empesté l’air. You had filled the air with a bad smell.
il il avait empesté Il avait empesté la ville. He had filled the city with a bad smell.
elle elle avait empesté Elle avait empesté la cuisine. She had filled the kitchen with a bad smell.
on on avait empesté On avait empesté le quartier. One had filled the neighborhood with a bad smell.
nous nous avions empesté Nous avions empesté la salle de bain. We had filled the bathroom with a bad smell.
vous vous aviez empesté Vous aviez empesté la voiture. You had filled the car with a bad smell.
ils ils avaient empesté Ils avaient empesté la maison. They had filled the house with a bad smell.
elles elles avaient empesté Elles avaient empesté la chambre. They had filled the bedroom with a bad smell.

Other Conjugations for Empester.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empester
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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