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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb empoissonner

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The English translation of the French verb empoissonner is “to fish” or “to stock with fish.” The infinitive form is pronounced as ahm-pwah-soh-nay.

The language origin of empoissonner can be traced back to the Old French word “empoison,” meaning “to poison.” Over time, this word evolved to also mean “to fish.” In every day French, empoissonner is most often used to describe the act of adding or introducing fish to a body of water for the purpose of fishing. It can also refer to the act of poisoning fish.

Examples of empoissonner in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais empoisonné le lac avec des truites avant d’aller pêcher. (I had stocked the lake with trout before going fishing.)

  2. Tu avais empoissonné la rivière avec des poissons tropicaux pour faire un joli étang dans ton jardin. (You had stocked the river with tropical fish to make a beautiful pond in your garden.)

  3. Les pêcheurs avaient empoissonné le lac pendant des années, mais il n’y avait plus de poissons lorsque je suis allé pêcher. (The fishermen had been stocking the lake for years, but there were no more fish when I went fishing.)

English translations:

  1. I had stocked the lake with trout before going fishing.
  2. You had stocked the river with tropical fish to make a beautiful pond in your garden.
  3. The fishermen had been stocking the lake for years, but there were no more fish when I went fishing.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais empoisonné J’avais empoisonné le poisson. I had poisoned the fish.
tu tu avais empoisonné Tu avais empoisonné le chat. You had poisoned the cat.
il il avait empoisonné Il avait empoisonné la rivière. He had poisoned the river.
elle elle avait empoisonné Elle avait empoisonné la nourriture. She had poisoned the food.
on on avait empoisonné On avait empoisonné l’eau. One had poisoned the water.
nous nous avions empoisonné Nous avions empoisonné l’air. We had poisoned the air.
vous vous aviez empoisonné Vous aviez empoisonné le puits. You had poisoned the well.
ils ils avaient empoisonné Ils avaient empoisonné le lac. They had poisoned the lake.
elles elles avaient empoisonné Elles avaient empoisonné la source. They had poisoned the spring.

Other Conjugations for Empoissonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empoissonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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