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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb engommer

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The English translation of the French verb engommer is “to glue” or “to gum.” The infinitive form, engommer, is pronounced as [ɑ̃.ɡɔ.me].

The word engommer comes from the Old French verb “gomer” meaning “to stick” or “to adhere.” It is derived from the Latin word “gumma,” which also means “gum” or “resin.”

In everyday French, engommer is often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to describe an action that had been completed in the past before another action took place. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Imparfait tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Examples of engommer in the Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. J’avais engommé toutes les pages de mon livre avant de le prêter à mon ami.
    (I had glued all the pages of my book before lending it to my friend.)

  2. Tu avais engommé les affiches sur le mur avant que j’arrive.
    (You had pasted the posters on the wall before I arrived.)

  3. Ils étaient arrivés en retard car leur train avait été engommé par une panne.
    (They had arrived late because their train had been stuck due to a breakdown.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais engommé J’avais engommé la surface. I had coated the surface.
tu tu avais engommé Tu avais engommé le papier. You had coated the paper.
il il avait engommé Il avait engommé le tissu. He had coated the fabric.
elle elle avait engommé Elle avait engommé la table. She had coated the table.
on on avait engommé On avait engommé le bois. One had coated the wood.
nous nous avions engommé Nous avions engommé le mur. We had coated the wall.
vous vous aviez engommé Vous aviez engommé la chaise. You had coated the chair.
ils ils avaient engommé Ils avaient engommé le sol. They had coated the floor.
elles elles avaient engommé Elles avaient engommé la porte. They had coated the door.

Other Conjugations for Engommer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb engommer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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