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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb envisager

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The English translation of the French verb envisager is “to consider” or “to contemplate.” The infinitive form, envisager, is pronounced as “ahn-vee-za-jay.”

Envisager comes from the Old French word “visage” meaning “face,” and the prefix “en-” which adds the idea of “within.” Therefore, envisager literally means “to look within the face,” or to contemplate or consider deeply.

In everyday French, envisager is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past. It is formed with the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Here are three simple examples of envisager in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais envisagé de partir en vacances, mais j’ai finalement décidé de rester à la maison. (I had considered going on vacation, but I ultimately decided to stay home.)

  2. Tu avais envisagé d’acheter une nouvelle voiture, mais tu as changé d’avis à la dernière minute. (You had contemplated buying a new car, but you changed your mind at the last minute.)

  3. Ils avaient envisagé de déménager à la campagne, mais ils ont réalisé qu’ils préféraient la vie en ville. (They had thought about moving to the countryside, but they realized they preferred city life.)

In these examples, the action of “envisager” (considering/contemplating) took place before the main action in the past (deciding, changing their mind, realizing). The English translations also use the past perfect tense to convey this idea of an action completed before another action in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais envisagé J’avais envisagé de partir. I had considered leaving.
tu tu avais envisagé Tu avais envisagé de changer d’emploi. You had considered changing jobs.
il il avait envisagé Il avait envisagé d’acheter une voiture. He had considered buying a car.
elle elle avait envisagé Elle avait envisagé de prendre des vacances. She had considered taking a vacation.
on on avait envisagé On avait envisagé de déménager. One had considered moving.
nous nous avions envisagé Nous avions envisagé de visiter Paris. We had considered visiting Paris.
vous vous aviez envisagé Vous aviez envisagé de changer de fournisseur. You had considered changing providers.
ils ils avaient envisagé Ils avaient envisagé de se marier. They had considered getting married.
elles elles avaient envisagé Elles avaient envisagé de partir en voyage. They had considered going on a trip.

Other Conjugations for Envisager.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb envisager
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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