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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb empoisser

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The English translation of the French verb empoisser is “to gum up” or “to make sticky.” It is pronounced as “ahm-pwah-say.”

Empoisser comes from the French word “poisse,” which means stickiness or glue. It is most often used in everyday French in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action or point in time.

Here are three simple examples of empoisser in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais empoissé mes doigts avec de la colle avant de toucher mon livre. (I had made my fingers sticky with glue before touching my book.)
  2. Les cheveux de la petite fille étaient empoissés de miel après avoir mangé son goûter. (The little girl’s hair was sticky from honey after eating her snack.)
  3. Nous avions empoissé le sol avec de la peinture avant de protéger la surface. (We had made the floor sticky with paint before protecting the surface.)

In each of these examples, empoisser is used to describe a completed action in the past, before another action or point in time. It is often used when describing a situation that caused stickiness or a mess.

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

Response:

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais empoissonné J’avais empoissonné le poisson. I had poisoned the fish.
tu tu avais empoissonné Tu avais empoissonné le chat. You had poisoned the cat.
il il avait empoissonné Il avait empoissonné la rivière. He had poisoned the river.
elle elle avait empoissonné Elle avait empoissonné l’eau. She had poisoned the water.
on on avait empoissonné On avait empoissonné le lac. One had poisoned the lake.
nous nous avions empoissonné Nous avions empoissonné le verre. We had poisoned the glass.
vous vous aviez empoissonné Vous aviez empoissonné le déjeuner. You had poisoned the lunch.
ils ils avaient empoissonné Ils avaient empoissonné la salade. They had poisoned the salad.
elles elles avaient empoissonné Elles avaient empoissonné le repas. They had poisoned the meal.

Other Conjugations for Empoisser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empoisser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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