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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb entrecroiser

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The English translation of the French verb entrecroiser is “to interlock” or “to cross over each other.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “ahn-treh-kwah-zay.”

The word entrecroiser comes from the combination of the prefix “entre” meaning “between” and the verb “croiser” meaning “to cross.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the equivalent of the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe actions that were completed before another past action or time reference.

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

  1. Les branches des arbres s’entrecroisaient dans un magnifique mélange de couleurs. (The branches of the trees interlocked in a beautiful mix of colors.)

  2. Les chemins de nos vies s’étaient entrecroisés à plusieurs reprises avant de finalement se séparer. (The paths of our lives had crossed several times before finally separating.)

  3. Les fils électriques du lampadaire étaient entrecroisés, ce qui a provoqué une panne d’électricité dans tout le quartier. (The electrical wires of the lamppost were intertwined, causing a power outage in the entire neighborhood.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais entrecroisé J’avais entrecroisé mes doigts. I had intertwined my fingers.
tu tu avais entrecroisé Tu avais entrecroisé tes bras. You had crossed your arms.
il il avait entrecroisé Il avait entrecroisé ses jambes. He had crossed his legs.
elle elle avait entrecroisé Elle avait entrecroisé ses mains. She had intertwined her hands.
on on avait entrecroisé On avait entrecroisé nos regards. One had crossed our glances.
nous nous avions entrecroisé Nous avions entrecroisé nos doigts. We had intertwined our fingers.
vous vous aviez entrecroisé Vous aviez entrecroisé vos pieds. You had crossed your feet.
ils ils avaient entrecroisé Ils avaient entrecroisé leurs doigts. They had intertwined their fingers.
elles elles avaient entrecroisé Elles avaient entrecroisé leurs bras. They had crossed their arms.

Other Conjugations for Entrecroiser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb entrecroiser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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