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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb essanger

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The English translation of the French verb essanger is “to wipe” or “to dry”. The infinitive form, essanger, is pronounced as [eh-sahn-zhey].

The word essanger comes from the Old French verb essaigner, which originated from the Latin word exsiccāre, meaning “to dry out”. It is most commonly used in the Plus-que-parfait tense (past perfect tense) in everyday French to indicate an action that was completed before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of how essanger is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais essangé la vaisselle avant que les invités n’arrivent. (I had wiped the dishes before the guests arrived.)
  2. Ils avaient essangé leurs larmes quand ils ont entendu la bonne nouvelle. (They had dried their tears when they heard the good news.)
  3. Tu avais essangé ta voiture avant de partir en voyage. (You had dried your car before leaving on the trip.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais essangé J’avais essangé mes vêtements. I had wrung out my clothes.
tu tu avais essangé Tu avais essangé le linge. You had wrung out the laundry.
il il avait essangé Il avait essangé les serviettes. He had wrung out the towels.
elle elle avait essangé Elle avait essangé le tapis. She had wrung out the rug.
on on avait essangé On avait essangé le t-shirt. One had wrung out the t-shirt.
nous nous avions essangé Nous avions essangé les draps. We had wrung out the sheets.
vous vous aviez essangé Vous aviez essangé les rideaux. You had wrung out the curtains.
ils ils avaient essangé Ils avaient essangé les chaussettes. They had wrung out the socks.
elles elles avaient essangé Elles avaient essangé le linge. They had wrung out the laundry.

Other Conjugations for Essanger.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb essanger
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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