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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb aborder

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The English translation of the French verb aborder is “to approach” or “to tackle.” It is pronounced as [a.bɔʁ.de] in the infinitive form.

Aborder comes from the Old French word “abord,” which means “shore” or “bank,” and is derived from the Latin word “ad” (to) and “bordum” (border). In modern French, it is most often used in everyday language to mean “to approach” someone or something physically, emotionally, or verbally.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, aborder is used to describe an action that had been completed in the past before another action took place. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with the respective English translations:

  1. J’avais abordé la question avant qu’il ne commence à se mettre en colère. (I had approached the subject before he started to get angry.)

  2. Tu avais abordé le sujet avec tact et délicatesse. (You had tackled the topic with tact and delicacy.)

  3. Ils avaient abordé le navire avant que la tempête ne commence. (They had approached the ship before the storm began.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais abordé J’avais abordé la question. I had addressed the question.
tu tu avais abordé Tu avais abordé le sujet. You had approached the subject.
il il avait abordé Il avait abordé la conversation. He had started the conversation.
elle elle avait abordé Elle avait abordé le projet. She had tackled the project.
on on avait abordé On avait abordé le thème. One had discussed the theme.
nous nous avions abordé Nous avions abordé le sujet. We had approached the subject.
vous vous aviez abordé Vous aviez abordé l’idée. You had brought up the idea.
ils ils avaient abordé Ils avaient abordé le problème. They had addressed the problem.
elles elles avaient abordé Elles avaient abordé la question. They had addressed the question.

Other Conjugations for Aborder.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aborder
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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