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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb arquer

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of arquer. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb arquer is “to arch” or “to curve.” It is pronounced “ahr-kay.”

The word arquer comes from the French noun “arc” meaning “arch,” and its Latin root “arca,” meaning “a bow.” In everyday French, arquer is most often used in the plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to talk about actions that were completed before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of arquer in the plus-que-parfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. J’avais arqué mon dos avant de sauter. (I had arched my back before jumping.)
  2. Les branches étaient arquées sous le poids de la neige. (The branches were arched under the weight of the snow.)
  3. Ils avaient arqué leurs sourcils en signe de surprise. (They had arched their eyebrows in a sign of surprise.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais arqué J’avais arqué mon dos. I had arched my back.
tu tu avais arqué Tu avais arqué tes sourcils. You had arched your eyebrows.
il il avait arqué Il avait arqué ses épaules. He had arched his shoulders.
elle elle avait arqué Elle avait arqué ses cils. She had arched her eyelashes.
on on avait arqué On avait arqué le pont. One had arched the bridge.
nous nous avions arqué Nous avions arqué notre dos. We had arched our back.
vous vous aviez arqué Vous aviez arqué la porte. You had arched the door.
ils ils avaient arqué Ils avaient arqué leurs épaules. They had arched their shoulders.
elles elles avaient arqué Elles avaient arqué leur dos. They had arched their back.

Other Conjugations for Arquer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arquer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the arquer Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply