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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb enrêner

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The English translation of the French verb enrêner is “to rein in/to control/to restrain.” It is pronounced as “ahn-ren-ay” in its infinitive form.

The word enrêner comes from the verb “rêne,” which means “rein” in English. The prefix “en-” indicates that the action is directed inward, implying the idea of controlling oneself or one’s emotions.

In everyday French, enrêner is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to talk about actions that were completed before another past action or point in time.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Plus-que-parfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais enrêné mes émotions avant de lui parler. (I had reined in my emotions before talking to him.)

  2. Nous avions enrêné nos dépenses pour économiser de l’argent. (We had restrained our expenses to save money.)

  3. Vous aviez enrêné vos instincts pour faire le bien. (You had controlled your instincts to do good.)

In each of these examples, the verb enrêner is used to convey the idea of controlling or restraining something before a specific past action or event.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais enrêné J’avais enrêné mon cheval. I had reined in my horse.
tu tu avais enrêné Tu avais enrêné ton chien. You had leashed your dog.
il il avait enrêné Il avait enrêné le taureau. He had tamed the bull.
elle elle avait enrêné Elle avait enrêné la mule. She had harnessed the mule.
on on avait enrêné On avait enrêné les chevaux. One had bridled the horses.
nous nous avions enrêné Nous avions enrêné les vaches. We had herded the cows.
vous vous aviez enrêné Vous aviez enrêné les chèvres. You had reined in the goats.
ils ils avaient enrêné Ils avaient enrêné les chevaux. They had harnessed the horses.
elles elles avaient enrêné Elles avaient enrêné leur âne. They had tethered their donkey.

Other Conjugations for Enrêner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb enrêner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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