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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb herbager

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The English translation of the French verb herbager is “to graze” or “to pasture.” The infinitive form of the verb is pronounced “ehr-bah-zhay.”

The word herbager comes from the Latin word “herba,” meaning grass or herb. It entered the French language in the 12th century and was originally used to refer to the action of grazing animals in a field. Today, it is still primarily used in the context of agriculture and animal husbandry.

In everyday French, the verb herbager is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the equivalent of the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to indicate an action that was completed before another action in the past.

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

  1. Les vaches avaient herbagé dans le champ avant que la pluie ne commence. (The cows had grazed in the field before the rain started.)

  2. Tu avais herbagé tes moutons sur cette colline l’année dernière. (You had pastured your sheep on this hill last year.)

  3. Les chevaux avaient herbagé dans cette prairie depuis des heures avant que le fermier les ait rentrés à l’étable. (The horses had been grazing in this meadow for hours before the farmer brought them back to the stable.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais herbagé J’avais herbagé la prairie. I had grazed the meadow.
tu tu avais herbagé Tu avais herbagé les moutons. You had grazed the sheep.
il il avait herbagé Il avait herbagé les vaches. He had grazed the cows.
elle elle avait herbagé Elle avait herbagé les chevaux. She had grazed the horses.
on on avait herbagé On avait herbagé les champs. One had grazed the fields.
nous nous avions herbagé Nous avions herbagé le bétail. We had grazed the cattle.
vous vous aviez herbagé Vous aviez herbagé les brebis. You had grazed the ewes.
ils ils avaient herbagé Ils avaient herbagé les chèvres. They had grazed the goats.
elles elles avaient herbagé Elles avaient herbagé les ânes. They had grazed the donkeys.

Other Conjugations for Herbager.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb herbager
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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