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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb estamper

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The English translation of the French verb estamper is “to stamp” or “to imprint.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “es-tam-pey.”

Estamper comes from the Old French word “estamper,” which means “to press,” and ultimately from the Latin word “stuppare,” meaning “to stop up or press.” In everyday French, estamper is commonly used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to indicate an action that had been completed in the past before another action took place.

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

  1. J’avais déjà estampé les cartes avant qu’il n’arrive. (I had already stamped the cards before he arrived.)

  2. Elle avait estampé les documents avant de partir en vacances. (She had stamped the documents before leaving for vacation.)

  3. Nous avions estampé les lettres avant que la poste ne ferme. (We had stamped the letters before the post office closed.)

In these examples, estamper is used to indicate an action that had been completed in the past (estampé) before another action took place (arrive, partir, ferme).

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais estampé J’avais estampé mes initiales. I had stamped my initials.
tu tu avais estampé Tu avais estampé le motif. You had stamped the pattern.
il il avait estampé Il avait estampé la feuille. He had stamped the sheet.
elle elle avait estampé Elle avait estampé le document. She had stamped the document.
on on avait estampé On avait estampé le passeport. One had stamped the passport.
nous nous avions estampé Nous avions estampé le formulaire. We had stamped the form.
vous vous aviez estampé Vous aviez estampé le contrat. You had stamped the contract.
ils ils avaient estampé Ils avaient estampé la carte. They had stamped the card.
elles elles avaient estampé Elles avaient estampé le papier. They had stamped the paper.

Other Conjugations for Estamper.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb estamper
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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