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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb enfermer

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The English translation of the French verb enfermer is “to lock up” or “to confine”. The infinitive form of enfermer is pronounced as [ɑ̃fɛʁme] in French.

The word enfermer comes from the Old French word “enfermier” which means “to imprison”. It is derived from the Latin word “introferre” which means “to put inside”. In everyday French, it is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which corresponds to the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action.

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

  1. J’avais enfermé la porte avant de partir. (I had locked the door before leaving.)
  2. Nous étions enfermés dans la maison pendant toute la nuit. (We had been confined in the house all night.)
  3. Tu avais enfermé ton chat dans la chambre. (You had locked your cat in the room.)

In all of these examples, the action of locking or confining (enfermer) happened before another past action. This tense is commonly used to talk about events that happened in the past but have a direct impact on the current situation.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais enfermé J’avais enfermé le chat dans la chambre. I had locked the cat in the room.
tu tu avais enfermé Tu avais enfermé les clés dans ta poche. You had locked the keys in your pocket.
il il avait enfermé Il avait enfermé le chien dans la cave. He had locked the dog in the cellar.
elle elle avait enfermé Elle avait enfermé le livre dans son sac. She had locked the book in her bag.
on on avait enfermé On avait enfermé le vélo dans le garage. One had locked the bike in the garage.
nous nous avions enfermé Nous avions enfermé le chat dans la cave. We had locked the cat in the cellar.
vous vous aviez enfermé Vous aviez enfermé le chien dans la cour. You had locked the dog in the courtyard.
ils ils avaient enfermé Ils avaient enfermé les clés dans le tiroir. They had locked the keys in the drawer.
elles elles avaient enfermé Elles avaient enfermé le livre dans l’armoire. They had locked the book in the closet.

Other Conjugations for Enfermer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb enfermer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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