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

Introduction to the verb engendrer

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of engendrer. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb engendrer is “to generate” or “to beget.” It is pronounced “ahn-zhan-dreh.”

Engendrer comes from the Old French word “engendrer,” which in turn comes from the Latin “ingenerare.” It is derived from the prefix “en,” meaning “in” or “into,” and the verb “generare,” meaning “to beget” or “to create.” It has the same Latin root as the English word “generate.”

In everyday French, engendrer is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses an action that occurred before another action in the past. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of engendrer.

Example 1: J’avais engendré une révolution. (I had generated a revolution.)
Example 2: Il était engendré par sa colère. (He was generated by his anger.)
Example 3: Elle avait été engendrée par ses expériences passées. (She had been generated by her past experiences.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais engendré J’avais engendré un enfant. I had conceived a child.
tu tu avais engendré Tu avais engendré un héritier. You had fathered an heir.
il il avait engendré Il avait engendré une génération. He had engendered a generation.
elle elle avait engendré Elle avait engendré un changement. She had brought about a change.
on on avait engendré On avait engendré une révolution. One had sparked a revolution.
nous nous avions engendré Nous avions engendré une idée. We had generated an idea.
vous vous aviez engendré Vous aviez engendré un conflit. You had caused a conflict.
ils ils avaient engendré Ils avaient engendré une polémique. They had sparked a controversy.
elles elles avaient engendré Elles avaient engendré une discussion. They had generated a discussion.

Other Conjugations for Engendrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb engendrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the engendrer Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts