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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb entraîner

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The English translation of the French verb entraîner is “to train” or “to lead to.”

The infinitive form of entraîner is pronounced as ahn-tray-nay.

Entraîner comes from the French word “traîner” which means “to drag” or “to pull.” The prefix “en-” added to the verb indicates a sense of movement towards a specific goal or direction. Therefore, entraîner can be understood as “to lead (someone or something) towards a specific goal or outcome.”

In everyday French, entraîner is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past tense used to describe an action that happened before another past action. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the imperfect tense followed by the past participle of the verb. For example, “j’avais entraîné” or “j’étais entraîné.”

Here are 3 simple examples of how entraîner is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense with their English translations:

  1. J’avais entraîné mon chien à obéir dès qu’il entendait le sifflet. (I had trained my dog to obey as soon as he heard the whistle.)

  2. Elle s’était entraînée pendant des mois pour son premier marathon. (She had trained for months for her first marathon.)

  3. Nous étions entraînés par un coach professionnel avant la compétition. (We had been trained by a professional coach before the competition.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais entraîné J’avais entraîné mon équipe. I had trained my team.
tu tu avais entraîné Tu avais entraîné ton chien. You had trained your dog.
il il avait entraîné Il avait entraîné son corps. He had trained his body.
elle elle avait entraîné Elle avait entraîné les enfants. She had trained the children.
on on avait entraîné On avait entraîné les soldats. One had trained the soldiers.
nous nous avions entraîné Nous avions entraîné nos amis. We had trained our friends.
vous vous aviez entraîné Vous aviez entraîné votre esprit. You had trained your mind.
ils ils avaient entraîné Ils avaient entraîné leur équipe. They had trained their team.
elles elles avaient entraîné Elles avaient entraîné leurs chiens. They had trained their dogs.

Other Conjugations for Entraîner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb entraîner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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