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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb associer

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The English translation of the French verb associer is “to associate.” It is pronounced as [a.so.sje] in the infinitive form.

The word associer comes from the Latin word “associare,” meaning “to join with.” It is a regular -er verb in French and is most often used to express the action of linking or connecting two or more things.

In everyday French, associer is commonly used in the Plus-que-parfait tense (pluperfect tense), which corresponds to the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to express an action that took place before another action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Plus-que-parfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. J’avais associé ces deux couleurs pour créer un effet contrastant.
    (I had associated these two colors to create a contrasting effect.)

  2. Quand il est entré, j’avais déjà associé toutes les pièces du puzzle.
    (When he came in, I had already associated all the puzzle pieces.)

  3. Avant de partir en voyage, nous avions associé les noms des pays aux drapeaux correspondants.
    (Before leaving on our trip, we had associated the country names with their corresponding flags.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais associé J’avais associé les couleurs. I had paired the colors.
tu tu avais associé Tu avais associé les images. You had associated the images.
il il avait associé Il avait associé les mots. He had associated the words.
elle elle avait associé Elle avait associé les numéros. She had associated the numbers.
on on avait associé On avait associé les lettres. One had associated the letters.
nous nous avions associé Nous avions associé les éléments. We had associated the elements.
vous vous aviez associé Vous aviez associé les données. You had associated the data.
ils ils avaient associé Ils avaient associé les chiffres. They had associated the numbers.
elles elles avaient associé Elles avaient associé les couleurs. They had associated the colors.

Other Conjugations for Associer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb associer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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