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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb enseigner

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The English translation of enseigner is “to teach.” It is pronounced as “ahn-seh-nyay.”

The word enseigner comes from the Old French term “ensignier,” which is derived from the Latin verb “insignare,” meaning “to instruct.” In modern French, enseigner is a regular -er verb that is used to describe the action of teaching or imparting knowledge to someone.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, enseigner is used to talk about an action that had been completed before another past action. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the imperfect tense and adding the past participle of enseigner, which is “enseigné.”

Example 1: J’avais enseigné le français pendant dix ans avant de devenir écrivain. (I had taught French for ten years before becoming a writer.)

Example 2: Tu avais enseigné à ces élèves avant de partir à l’étranger. (You had taught these students before leaving abroad.)

Example 3: Elle avait enseigné dans cette école avant de prendre sa retraite. (She had taught in this school before retiring.)

In everyday French, enseigner is commonly used to talk about teaching in a general sense, as well as in specific contexts such as teaching a subject in school or teaching a skill or concept. Here are three examples of its usage in everyday French:

  1. J’ai enseigné l’anglais à des élèves de primaire pendant plusieurs années. (I taught English to elementary students for several years.)

  2. Mon grand-père m’a enseigné à pêcher quand j’étais petit. (My grandfather taught me how to fish when I was little.)

  3. Elle enseigne la danse classique dans cette école depuis dix ans. (She has been teaching classical dance in this school for ten years.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais enseigné J’avais enseigné la leçon. I had taught the lesson.
tu tu avais enseigné Tu avais enseigné la matière. You had taught the subject.
il il avait enseigné Il avait enseigné la théorie. He had taught the theory.
elle elle avait enseigné Elle avait enseigné la grammaire. She had taught grammar.
on on avait enseigné On avait enseigné la géographie. One had taught geography.
nous nous avions enseigné Nous avions enseigné la littérature. We had taught literature.
vous vous aviez enseigné Vous aviez enseigné l’histoire. You had taught history.
ils ils avaient enseigné Ils avaient enseigné la science. They had taught science.
elles elles avaient enseigné Elles avaient enseigné la musique. They had taught music.

Other Conjugations for Enseigner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb enseigner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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