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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb appliquer

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The English translation of the French verb appliquer is “to apply”. It is pronounced “ah-plee-kay”.

The origin of the verb appliquer can be traced back to the Latin word “applicare”, meaning “to attach, join, or connect”. In modern French, it is most commonly used to mean “to put into effect, to carry out, or to implement”.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, appliquer is used to talk about actions that were completed in the past before another past action. For example:

  1. J’avais appliqué les règles strictes pour que les enfants se comportent bien. (I had applied strict rules so that the children would behave well.)
  2. Tu avais appliqué une crème solaire avant d’aller à la plage. (You had applied sunscreen before going to the beach.)
  3. Elle avait appliqué tous ses efforts pour réussir son examen. (She had applied all her efforts to pass her exam.)

In these examples, the verb appliquer is conjugated in the Plus-que-parfait tense (past perfect) with the respective subject pronouns (j’avais, tu avais, elle avait) and the past participle “appliqué”. The English translations also use the past perfect tense to indicate an action that was completed before another past action.

In everyday French, appliquer is commonly used in various contexts, such as:

  • Applying makeup: J’aime appliquer du rouge à lèvres avant de sortir. (I like to apply lipstick before going out.)
  • Applying for a job: J’ai appliqué pour un poste chez Google. (I applied for a job at Google.)
  • Applying a method or technique: Nous avons appliqué cette nouvelle méthode de gestion et ça a amélioré notre productivité. (We applied this new management method and it improved our productivity.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais appliqué J’avais appliqué la crème. I had applied the cream.
tu tu avais appliqué Tu avais appliqué le vernis. You had applied the nail polish.
il il avait appliqué Il avait appliqué la méthode. He had applied the method.
elle elle avait appliqué Elle avait appliqué le maquillage. She had applied the makeup.
on on avait appliqué On avait appliqué la politique. One had applied the policy.
nous nous avions appliqué Nous avions appliqué la peinture. We had applied the paint.
vous vous aviez appliqué Vous aviez appliqué la technique. You had applied the technique.
ils ils avaient appliqué Ils avaient appliqué la loi. They had applied the law.
elles elles avaient appliqué Elles avaient appliqué le produit. They had applied the product.

Other Conjugations for Appliquer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb appliquer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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