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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb empiéter

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The English translation of the French verb empiéter is “to encroach” or “to encroach upon.” It can also be translated as “to infringe” or “to trespass.”

Empiéter is pronounced as “ahn-pee-eh-tey.”

The language origin of empiéter comes from the Old French word “empesier,” meaning “to weigh down” or “to burden.” It evolved into the modern French word “empêter,” which means “to encroach.” The prefix “en-” adds a sense of “in” or “on,” making the meaning of the verb more specific.

In everyday French, empiéter is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which corresponds to the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that happened before another past action.

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

  1. J’avais empiété sur son espace de travail avant qu’il ne le remarque. (I had encroached on his workspace before he noticed it.)

  2. Nous avions empiété sur leurs droits sans le savoir. (We had infringed upon their rights without knowing it.)

  3. Les chiens avaient empiété sur le terrain de la ferme voisine. (The dogs had trespassed on the neighboring farm’s land.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais empiété J’avais empiété sur son territoire. I had encroached on his territory.
tu tu avais empiété Tu avais empiété sur sa propriété. You had encroached on his property.
il il avait empiété Il avait empiété sur leur espace. He had encroached on their space.
elle elle avait empiété Elle avait empiété sur son chemin. She had encroached on his path.
on on avait empiété On avait empiété sur leur plan. One had encroached on their plan.
nous nous avions empiété Nous avions empiété sur leur territoire. We had encroached on their territory.
vous vous aviez empiété Vous aviez empiété sur son domaine. You had encroached on his domain.
ils ils avaient empiété Ils avaient empiété sur leur propriété. They had encroached on their property.
elles elles avaient empiété Elles avaient empiété sur leur espace. They had encroached on their space.

Other Conjugations for Empiéter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empiéter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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