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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb arpenter

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The English translation of the French verb arpenter is “to survey” or “to measure”. It is pronounced “ahr-pahn-teh”.

The word arpenter comes from the Latin word “arpentare” meaning “to measure out”. It is most often used in everyday French in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense.

Three examples of its usage in the Plus-que-parfait tense are:

1) J’avais arpenté le terrain avant de commencer la construction. (I had surveyed the land before starting the construction.)

2) Elle avait arpenté la ville à la recherche de son chien perdu. (She had searched the city to find her lost dog.)

3) Ils avaient arpenté la forêt pendant des heures avant de trouver la clairière parfaite pour le pique-nique. (They had walked through the forest for hours before finding the perfect clearing for the picnic.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais arpenté J’avais arpenté la rue. I had walked down the street.
tu tu avais arpenté Tu avais arpenté le chemin. You had walked the path.
il il avait arpenté Il avait arpenté le parc. He had walked through the park.
elle elle avait arpenté Elle avait arpenté la forêt. She had walked through the forest.
on on avait arpenté On avait arpenté la plage. One had walked along the beach.
nous nous avions arpenté Nous avions arpenté la ville. We had walked around the city.
vous vous aviez arpenté Vous aviez arpenté la montagne. You had walked up the mountain.
ils ils avaient arpenté Ils avaient arpenté le sentier. They had walked the trail.
elles elles avaient arpenté Elles avaient arpenté la campagne. They had walked through the countryside.

Other Conjugations for Arpenter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arpenter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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