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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb en débarrasser

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The English translation of the French verb en débarrasser is “to get rid of.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “ahn deh-bah-rah-say.”

En débarrasser is derived from the French word “débarrasser,” which means “to clear, to rid, to free.” The prefix “en” adds the meaning of “from” or “of.”

In everyday French, en débarrasser is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to talk about actions that were completed in the past before another action took place. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” conjugated in the Imparfait tense, followed by the past participle of en débarrasser: “avais débarrassé,” “avais débarrassé,” “avions débarrassé,” etc.

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

  1. J’avais débarrassé la chambre avant que mes parents n’arrivent. (I had gotten rid of the room before my parents arrived.)
  2. Tu avais débarrassé la table après le dîner. (You had cleared the table after dinner.)
  3. Ils avaient débarrassé tout le désordre avant de partir en vacances. (They had gotten rid of all the mess before leaving for vacation.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je m’étais débarrassé Je m’étais débarrassé de mes vieux vêtements. I had gotten rid of my old clothes.
tu t’étais débarrassé Tu t’étais débarrassé de tes devoirs. You had gotten rid of your homework.
il s’était débarrassé Il s’était débarrassé de ses mauvaises habitudes. He had gotten rid of his bad habits.
elle s’était débarrassée Elle s’était débarrassée de son sac lourd. She had gotten rid of her heavy bag.
on s’était débarrassé On s’était débarrassé des objets inutiles. One had gotten rid of unnecessary objects.
nous nous étions débarrassés Nous étions débarrassés de nos encombrants. We had gotten rid of our bulky items.
vous vous étiez débarrassés Vous étiez débarrassés de vos soucis. You had gotten rid of your worries.
ils s’étaient débarrassés Ils s’étaient débarrassés de leurs ennemis. They had gotten rid of their enemies.
elles s’étaient débarrassées Elles s’étaient débarrassées de leurs préoccupations. They had gotten rid of their concerns.

Other Conjugations for En Débarrasser.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb en débarrasser
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb en débarrasser
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb en débarrasser
   

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

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb en débarrasser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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En Débarrasser – 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 en débarrasser. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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