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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb esbigner

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of esbigner. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb esbigner is “to sneak away” or “to slip away”. The infinitive form, esbigner, is pronounced as “es-been-yay”.

The word esbigner comes from the Old French word “esbignier” meaning “to run away” or “to escape”. It is derived from the Latin word “exbinare” which also means “to escape”.

In everyday French, esbigner is often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to talk about an action that happened before another action in the past. Here are 3 simple examples of its usage in this tense, with the respective English translations:

  1. J’avais esbigné avant qu’ils ne me voient. (I had snuck away before they saw me.)
  2. Elle avait esbigné quand ses parents ont crié son nom. (She had slipped away when her parents called her name.)
  3. Nous avions esbigné avant que la fête ne commence. (We had snuck away before the party started.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’étais esbigné J’étais esbigné du groupe. I had slipped out of the group.
tu tu étais esbigné Tu étais esbigné de la soirée. You had slipped away from the party.
il il était esbigné Il était esbigné du travail. He had skipped out of work.
elle elle était esbignée Elle était esbignée de l’école. She had ditched school.
on on était esbigné On était esbigné du rendez-vous. One had flaked on the appointment.
nous nous étions esbignés Nous étions esbignés du cours. We had skipped out of class.
vous vous étiez esbignés Vous étiez esbignés de la réunion. You had missed the meeting.
ils ils étaient esbignés Ils étaient esbignés de la fête. They had bailed on the party.
elles elles étaient esbignées Elles étaient esbignées du concert. They had snuck out of the concert.

Other Conjugations for Esbigner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb esbigner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the esbigner Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts