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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb enclouer

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The English translation of the French verb enclouer is “to nail”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “ahn-kloo-eh”.

The word enclouer comes from the Old French word “encloer”, which means “to drive a nail”. It is derived from the Latin word “clavus”, meaning “nail”. Enclouer is a regular -er verb and is used to describe the action of hammering a nail into something.

In everyday French, enclouer is most often used in the past tense, specifically in the Plus-que-parfait tense. This tense is used to describe an action that had already been completed before another past action. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. J’avais encloué le tableau avant qu’il ne tombe. (I had nailed the painting before it fell.)
  2. Les ouvriers avaient encloué les planches du pont avant de partir. (The workers had nailed the planks of the bridge before leaving.)
  3. Elle avait encloué les jambes de la table pour les renforcer. (She had nailed the legs of the table to reinforce them.)

In all of these examples, the action of nailing (enclouer) had already been completed before another past action. This shows the completed aspect of the Plus-que-parfait tense. The use of this tense adds emphasis to the fact that the action was completed in the past.

In conclusion, enclouer is a common French verb that means “to nail” and is often used in everyday language to describe the action of hammering a nail into something. It is most commonly used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to describe an action that had already been completed before another past action.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais encloué J’avais encloué la planche. I had nailed down the plank.
tu tu avais encloué Tu avais encloué le cadre. You had nailed down the frame.
il il avait encloué Il avait encloué la boîte. He had nailed down the box.
elle elle avait encloué Elle avait encloué l’étagère. She had nailed down the shelf.
on on avait encloué On avait encloué le panneau. One had nailed down the panel.
nous nous avions encloué Nous avions encloué la planche. We had nailed down the plank.
vous vous aviez encloué Vous aviez encloué le cadre. You had nailed down the frame.
ils ils avaient encloué Ils avaient encloué le clou. They had nailed down the nail.
elles elles avaient encloué Elles avaient encloué la boîte. They had nailed down the box.

Other Conjugations for Enclouer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb enclouer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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