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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb entrelacer

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The English translation of the French verb entrelacer is “to interlace” or “to intertwine.” The infinitive form is pronounced ahn-truh-lah-say.

The verb entrelacer comes from the Latin word “interlacio,” which means “to interweave.” It is commonly used in everyday French to describe the action of intertwining or weaving two things together.

In the plus-que-parfait tense, entrelacer is used to describe an action that had been completed before another past action. It is formed by conjugating the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the imperfect tense followed by the past participle of entrelacer.

Here are three examples of entrelacer used in the plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais entrelacé mes doigts ensemble avant de me mettre à genoux. (I had intertwined my fingers before getting down on my knees.)
  2. Elle avait entrelacé les branches pour former une jolie couronne. (She had woven the branches together to make a beautiful wreath.)
  3. Nous avions entrelacé nos histoires pour créer un récit commun. (We had intertwined our stories to create a shared narrative.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais entrelacé J’avais entrelacé mes doigts. I had interlocked my fingers.
tu tu avais entrelacé Tu avais entrelacé les branches. You had entwined the branches.
il il avait entrelacé Il avait entrelacé les fils. He had intertwined the threads.
elle elle avait entrelacé Elle avait entrelacé les cordes. She had interlaced the ropes.
on on avait entrelacé On avait entrelacé les rubans. One had interwoven the ribbons.
nous nous avions entrelacé Nous avions entrelacé les tresses. We had braided the braids.
vous vous aviez entrelacé Vous aviez entrelacé les fleurs. You had entwined the flowers.
ils ils avaient entrelacé Ils avaient entrelacé les branches. They had intertwined the branches.
elles elles avaient entrelacé Elles avaient entrelacé les fils. They had intertwined the threads.

Other Conjugations for Entrelacer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb entrelacer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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