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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb enrailler

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The English translation of the French verb enrailler is “to derail.” It is pronounced as “ahn-ray-yay.”

Enrailler comes from the old French word “railler,” meaning “to mock” or “to ridicule.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which corresponds to the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that took place before another past action.

Here are three examples of enrailler in the Plus-que-parfait tense, with their English translations:

  1. J’avais enraillé le train avant qu’il n’arrive à la gare. (I had derailed the train before it arrived at the station.)
  2. Tu avais enraillé le projet avec tes critiques incessantes. (You had derailed the project with your constant criticisms.)
  3. Il avait enraillé la réunion en arrivant en retard. (He had derailed the meeting by arriving late.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais enraillé J’avais enraillé ma bicyclette. I had derailed my bicycle.
tu tu avais enraillé Tu avais enraillé le train. You had derailed the train.
il il avait enraillé Il avait enraillé la voiture. He had derailed the car.
elle elle avait enraillé Elle avait enraillé le métro. She had derailed the subway.
on on avait enraillé On avait enraillé le tramway. One had derailed the tramway.
nous nous avions enraillé Nous avions enraillé le camion. We had derailed the truck.
vous vous aviez enraillé Vous aviez enraillé le train. You had derailed the train.
ils ils avaient enraillé Ils avaient enraillé le bus. They had derailed the bus.
elles elles avaient enraillé Elles avaient enraillé le métro. They had derailed the subway.

Other Conjugations for Enrailler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb enrailler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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