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

Introduction to the verb empoter

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The English translation of the French verb empoter is “to pot” or “to put into a pot.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “ahm-po-tay.”

Empoter comes from the Old French word “pot” meaning “pot” or “container.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense and indicates an action that took place before another action in the past.

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

  1. J’avais empoté les fleurs avant que la pluie ne commence. (I had potted the flowers before the rain started.)
  2. Nous avions empoté la confiture la veille du départ. (We had put the jam in jars the day before leaving.)
  3. Il avait empoté les herbes aromatiques pour les faire sécher. (He had potted the herbs to dry them.)

In these examples, empoter is used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past. It is often used with the auxiliary verb “avoir” (to have) in the Plus-que-parfait tense.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais empoté J’avais empoté les plantes. I had repotted the plants.
tu tu avais empoté Tu avais empoté les fleurs. You had repotted the flowers.
il il avait empoté Il avait empoté les cactus. He had repotted the cacti.
elle elle avait empoté Elle avait empoté les herbes. She had repotted the herbs.
on on avait empoté On avait empoté les succulentes. One had repotted the succulents.
nous nous avions empoté Nous avions empoté les arbustes. We had repotted the shrubs.
vous vous aviez empoté Vous aviez empoté les orchidées. You had repotted the orchids.
ils ils avaient empoté Ils avaient empoté les bonsaïs. They had repotted the bonsai trees.
elles elles avaient empoté Elles avaient empoté les violettes. They had repotted the violets.

Other Conjugations for Empoter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empoter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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