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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb esquisser

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The English translation of the French verb esquisser is “to sketch” or “to outline.” The infinitive form of esquisser is pronounced “es-kee-say.”

Esquisser comes from the Latin word “exquadrare,” meaning “to square out.” It entered French in the 16th century and was originally used in the context of painting, referring to the first rough sketch or outline of a painting. Over time, the meaning expanded to also include drawing or outlining in general.

In everyday French, esquisser is most commonly used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to describe an action that had been completed before another past action. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of esquisser, “esquissé.”

Here are three simple examples of esquisser in the Plus-que-parfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. J’avais esquissé le portrait avant de commencer à peindre. (I had sketched the portrait before starting to paint.)

  2. Elle était déjà partie quand j’ai esquissé un sourire. (She had already left when I sketched a smile.)

  3. Nous avions esquissé un plan détaillé avant la réunion. (We had outlined a detailed plan before the meeting.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais esquissé J’avais esquissé un dessin. I had sketched a drawing.
tu tu avais esquissé Tu avais esquissé un portrait. You had sketched a portrait.
il il avait esquissé Il avait esquissé un paysage. He had sketched a landscape.
elle elle avait esquissé Elle avait esquissé une fleur. She had sketched a flower.
on on avait esquissé On avait esquissé un croquis. One had sketched a rough draft.
nous nous avions esquissé Nous avions esquissé un plan. We had sketched a plan.
vous vous aviez esquissé Vous aviez esquissé une esquisse. You had sketched a sketch.
ils ils avaient esquissé Ils avaient esquissé un projet. They had sketched a project.
elles elles avaient esquissé Elles avaient esquissé un visage. They had sketched a face.

Other Conjugations for Esquisser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb esquisser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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