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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb arpéger

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The English translation of the French verb “arpéger” is “to arpeggiate.” It is pronounced “ar-peh-zheh.”

The verb “arpéger” comes from the French word “arpège,” which is derived from the Italian word “arpeggio.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, “arpéger” is used to describe an action that had been completed before another past action. It is often used when telling a story or describing a series of events that happened in the past.

Here are three simple examples of “arpéger” in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais arpégé la chanson avant que mes amis n’arrivent. (I had arpeggiated the song before my friends arrived.)
  2. Tu avais arpégé cette pièce à la perfection avant le concert. (You had arpeggiated this piece perfectly before the concert.)
  3. Il avait arpégé toutes les cordes de sa guitare avant de commencer à jouer. (He had arpeggiated all the strings of his guitar before starting to play.)

Overall, “arpéger” is a relatively common verb in French, especially in the context of music and storytelling. It adds a level of detail and fluency to the narrative, making it a useful verb to know for those learning the language.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais arpege J’avais arpege la chanson. I had played the song arpeggio style.
tu tu avais arpege Tu avais arpege la guitare. You had played the guitar in arpeggio style.
il il avait arpege Il avait arpege le morceau. He had played the piece in arpeggio style.
elle elle avait arpege Elle avait arpege le refrain. She had played the refrain in arpeggio style.
on on avait arpege On avait arpege la mélodie. One had played the melody in arpeggio style.
nous nous avions arpege Nous avions arpege le solo. We had played the solo in arpeggio style.
vous vous aviez arpege Vous aviez arpege la partition. You had played the sheet music in arpeggio style.
ils ils avaient arpege Ils avaient arpege la chanson. They had played the song in arpeggio style.
elles elles avaient arpege Elles avaient arpege la mélodie. They had played the melody in arpeggio style.

Other Conjugations for Arpéger.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arpéger
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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