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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb imprégner

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The English translation of the French verb imprégner is “to impregnate” or “to saturate.” The infinitive form is pronounced “im-pray-nay.”

The origin of the word imprégner can be traced back to the Latin word “praegnare,” meaning “to be pregnant.” It entered the French language in the late 14th century, originally meaning “to fill with offspring.” Over time, its meaning evolved to include the idea of “saturating” or “soaking in.”

In everyday French, imprégner is often used in the Plus-que-parfait (pluperfect) tense, which is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action. It is formed with the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the imperfect tense and the past participle of the verb.

Here are three examples of imprégner used in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. Elle avait imprégné le tissu d’un parfum délicat avant de coudre la robe.
    (She had saturated the fabric with a delicate perfume before sewing the dress.)

  2. Les murs étaient imprégnés de l’odeur de la peinture fraîche.
    (The walls were impregnated with the smell of fresh paint.)

  3. J’avais déjà imprégné le bois avec de l’huile avant de le poncer.
    (I had already impregnated the wood with oil before sanding it.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je m’étais imprégné(e) Je m’étais imprégné(e) de l’odeur des fleurs. I had become impregnated with the smell of flowers.
tu t’étais imprégné(e) Tu t’étais imprégné(e) de la culture locale. You had become impregnated with the local culture.
il s’était imprégné Il s’était imprégné du parfum de sa bien-aimée. He had become impregnated with the scent of his beloved.
elle s’était imprégnée Elle s’était imprégnée des traditions culinaires. She had become impregnated with culinary traditions.
on s’était imprégné On s’était imprégné de l’atmosphère de la ville. One had become impregnated with the atmosphere of the city.
nous nous étions imprégnés Nous étions imprégnés de la musique locale. We had become impregnated with local music.
vous vous étiez imprégné(e) Vous étiez imprégné(e) de l’esprit de fête. You had become impregnated with the spirit of celebration.
ils s’étaient imprégnés Ils s’étaient imprégnés de la langue étrangère. They had become impregnated with the foreign language.
elles s’étaient imprégnées Elles s’étaient imprégnées de la littérature française. They had become impregnated with French literature.

Other Conjugations for Imprégner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb imprégner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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