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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb entrer

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The English translation of the French verb entrer is “to enter.” The infinitive form of entrer is pronounced as ahn-tray.

The language origin of entrer can be traced back to the Latin word “intrare,” meaning “to enter.” It is a regular -er verb and is used in everyday French to describe the action of physically entering a place or a specific location.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, entrer is used to describe an action that had already happened in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais déjà entré dans le magasin quand j’ai réalisé que j’avais oublié mon porte-monnaie. (I had already entered the store when I realized I had forgotten my wallet.)

  2. Les invités étaient déjà entrés dans la salle à manger quand j’ai fini de préparer le dîner. (The guests had already entered the dining room when I finished preparing dinner.)

  3. Marie et Pierre étaient déjà entrés dans l’avion quand ils se sont rendu compte qu’ils avaient oublié leurs passeports. (Marie and Pierre had already boarded the plane when they realized they had forgotten their passports.)

In all three examples, the action of entering had already taken place before another event in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’étais entré(e) J’étais entré(e) dans la maison. I had entered the house.
tu tu étais entré(e) Tu étais entré(e) dans la pièce. You had entered the room.
il il était entré Il était entré dans le magasin. He had entered the store.
elle elle était entrée Elle était entrée dans la salle. She had entered the hall.
on on était entré(s) On était entré(s) dans le bâtiment. One had entered the building.
nous nous étions entré(e)s Nous étions entré(e)s dans le parc. We had entered the park.
vous vous étiez entré(e)(s) Vous étiez entré(e)(s) dans le musée. You had entered the museum.
ils ils étaient entrés Ils étaient entrés dans le théâtre. They had entered the theater.
elles elles étaient entrées Elles étaient entrées dans la bibliothèque. They had entered the library.

Other Conjugations for Entrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb entrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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