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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb empiffrer

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The English translation of the French verb empiffrer is “to stuff oneself” or “to gorge oneself.” It is pronounced as ahm-pee-fray in its infinitive form.

The word empiffrer comes from the verb piffrer, which means “to eat or drink greedily.” The prefix em- adds emphasis, creating the meaning of “to stuff oneself.” It is most commonly used in informal or colloquial speech, often in a negative or critical context.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, empiffrer is conjugated as j’avais empiffré, tu avais empiffré, il/elle avait empiffré, nous avions empiffré, vous aviez empiffré, ils/elles avaient empiffré.

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

  1. J’avais empiffré tout le gâteau avant que les invités n’arrivent. (I had stuffed myself with the entire cake before the guests arrived.)

  2. Tu avais empiffré tellement de bonbons hier soir! (You had stuffed yourself with so many candies last night!)

  3. Ils avaient empiffré tous les plats à la fête, c’était impressionnant. (They had stuffed themselves with all the dishes at the party, it was impressive.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je je m’étais empiffré Je m’étais empiffré de bonbons. I had gorged myself on candies.
tu tu t’étais empiffré Tu t’étais empiffré de gâteau. You had stuffed yourself with cake.
il il s’était empiffré Il s’était empiffré de viande. He had stuffed himself with meat.
elle elle s’était empiffrée Elle s’était empiffrée de légumes. She had stuffed herself with vegetables.
on on s’était empiffré On s’était empiffré de pizza. One had stuffed oneself with pizza.
nous nous nous étions empiffrés Nous nous étions empiffrés de pâtes. We had stuffed ourselves with pasta.
vous vous vous étiez empiffrés Vous vous étiez empiffrés de sucreries. You had stuffed yourselves with sweets.
ils ils s’étaient empiffrés Ils s’étaient empiffrés de fruits. They had stuffed themselves with fruits.
elles elles s’étaient empiffrées Elles s’étaient empiffrées de plats copieux. They had stuffed themselves with hearty dishes.

Other Conjugations for Empiffrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empiffrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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