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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb annuler

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The English translation of the French verb annuler is “to cancel.” It is pronounced “ah-noo-lay” in its infinitive form.

The word “annuler” comes from the Latin word “annullare,” meaning “to make void or nullify.” It entered the French language in the 15th century and has been used in everyday French since then.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English, annuler is used to express an action that was completed before another action in the past. It is often used with the auxiliary verb “avoir” (to have) in this tense.

Here are three examples of annuler being used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. J’avais annulé ma réservation avant de partir en vacances. (I had canceled my reservation before going on vacation.)
  2. Ils avaient annulé leur mariage à la dernière minute. (They had canceled their wedding at the last minute.)
  3. Elle avait annulé son rendez-vous chez le médecin car elle était malade. (She had canceled her appointment with the doctor because she was sick.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais annulé J’avais annulé la réservation. I had cancelled the reservation.
tu tu avais annulé Tu avais annulé le rendez-vous. You had cancelled the appointment.
il il avait annulé Il avait annulé le vol. He had cancelled the flight.
elle elle avait annulé Elle avait annulé la commande. She had cancelled the order.
on on avait annulé On avait annulé le concert. One had cancelled the concert.
nous nous avions annulé Nous avions annulé la réunion. We had cancelled the meeting.
vous vous aviez annulé Vous aviez annulé la réservation. You had cancelled the reservation.
ils ils avaient annulé Ils avaient annulé la conférence. They had cancelled the conference.
elles elles avaient annulé Elles avaient annulé la fête. They had cancelled the party.

Other Conjugations for Annuler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb annuler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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