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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb escarmoucher

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The English translation of the French verb escarmoucher is “to skirmish” or “to engage in a skirmish”. The infinitive form of the verb is pronounced as “es-kar-moo-shey”.

The word escarmoucher comes from the Old French word “escarmouche”, which means “small battle” or “skirmish”. It is derived from the word “escarmer”, which means “to wound” or “to fight”.

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

Here are 3 simple examples of escarmoucher used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Les deux armĂ©es s’Ă©taient escarmouchĂ©es avant de signer un traitĂ© de paix.
    Translation: The two armies had skirmished before signing a peace treaty.

  2. J’avais entendu dire que les bandits s’Ă©taient escarmouchĂ©s avec les forces de l’ordre avant de prendre la fuite.
    Translation: I had heard that the bandits had skirmished with the police before fleeing.

  3. Les enfants avaient choisi de s’escarmoucher au lieu de jouer paisiblement.
    Translation: The children had chosen to skirmish instead of playing peacefully.

In all of these examples, escarmoucher is used to describe a small or brief battle or fight that had taken place in the past, before another event. It is often used in a figurative sense to describe a small argument or conflict.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais escarmouchĂ© J’avais escarmouchĂ© avec mes amis. I had skirmished with my friends.
tu tu avais escarmouché Tu avais escarmouché avec ton voisin. You had skirmished with your neighbor.
il il avait escarmouché Il avait escarmouché avec son ennemi. He had skirmished with his enemy.
elle elle avait escarmouché Elle avait escarmouché avec sa rivale. She had skirmished with her rival.
on on avait escarmouché On avait escarmouché avec les forces ennemies. One had skirmished with the enemy forces.
nous nous avions escarmouché Nous avions escarmouché avec les rebelles. We had skirmished with the rebels.
vous vous aviez escarmouché Vous aviez escarmouché avec les défenseurs. You had skirmished with the defenders.
ils ils avaient escarmouché Ils avaient escarmouché avec les assaillants. They had skirmished with the attackers.
elles elles avaient escarmouché Elles avaient escarmouché avec les envahisseurs. They had skirmished with the invaders.

Other Conjugations for Escarmoucher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb escarmoucher
   

    PassĂ© Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb escarmoucher
   

    PassĂ© ComposĂ© (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb escarmoucher
   

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

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

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

    PassĂ© AntĂ©rieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb escarmoucher

    Futur AntĂ©rieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb escarmoucher

    Subjonctif PrĂ©sent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb escarmoucher

    Subjonctif PassĂ© (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb escarmoucher
   

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

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

    Conditionnel PrĂ©sent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb escarmoucher
   

    Conditionnel PassĂ© (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb escarmoucher

    L’impĂ©ratif PrĂ©sent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb escarmoucher

    L’infinitif PrĂ©sent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb escarmoucher

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

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Escarmoucher – 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 “ĂȘtre” (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 mangĂ© (I had eaten)
   – Tu avais parlĂ© (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 jouĂ© (They had played)
2. With “ĂȘtre” as the auxiliary verb (usually for intransitive verbs or verbs indicating a state):
   – J’Ă©tais parti(e) (I had left)
   – Tu Ă©tais arrivĂ©(e) (You had arrived)
   – Il/elle/on Ă©tait tombĂ©(e) (He/She/One had fallen)
   – Nous Ă©tions restĂ©(e)s (We had stayed)
   – Vous Ă©tiez nĂ©(e)(s) (You had been born)
   – Ils/elles Ă©taient montĂ©(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 mangĂ© avant qu’il ne soit arrivĂ©” (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 arrivĂ©, ils avaient dĂ©jĂ  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 passĂ© composĂ© (simple past) to establish the sequence of past events. The passĂ© composĂ© 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 diffĂ©remment” (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 escarmoucher. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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