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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb enlever

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The English translation of the French verb enlever is “to remove” or “to take off.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “ahn-lev-ay.”

The word enlever comes from the Old French word “enlevier” which means “to raise up, remove, or steal.” It is derived from the Latin word “elevare” meaning “to lift up.”

In everyday French, enlever is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action.

Examples:

  1. J’avais enlevé mes chaussures avant d’entrer dans la maison. (I had removed my shoes before entering the house.)
  2. Elle avait enlevé tous les meubles de la pièce avant de la peindre. (She had taken all the furniture out of the room before painting it.)
  3. Les enfants avaient enlevé leurs manteaux avant de jouer dans la neige. (The children had taken off their coats before playing in the snow.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais enlevé J’avais enlevé mes chaussures. I had taken off my shoes.
tu tu avais enlevé Tu avais enlevé ton manteau. You had taken off your coat.
il il avait enlevé Il avait enlevé ses lunettes. He had taken off his glasses.
elle elle avait enlevé Elle avait enlevé sa chemise. She had taken off her shirt.
on on avait enlevé On avait enlevé ses gants. One had taken off their gloves.
nous nous avions enlevé Nous avions enlevé nos chaussettes. We had taken off our socks.
vous vous aviez enlevé Vous aviez enlevé votre chapeau. You had taken off your hat.
ils ils avaient enlevé Ils avaient enlevé leurs manteaux. They had taken off their coats.
elles elles avaient enlevé Elles avaient enlevé leurs robes. They had taken off their dresses.

Other Conjugations for Enlever.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb enlever
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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