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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chercher

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The English translation of the French verb chercher is “to search” or “to look for.” The infinitive form, chercher, is pronounced “shehr-shay.”

Chercher comes from the Latin word circare, meaning “to go around.” It was then adopted into Old French as cerchier, with a similar meaning of “to search or seek.” In modern French, chercher is one of the most commonly used verbs and can be used in various tenses and forms.

In everyday French, chercher in the Plus-que-parfait tense (past perfect) is used to describe an action that occurred before another past action or event. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb avoir in the imparfait (past imperfect) tense, followed by the past participle of chercher.

Here are three simple examples of how chercher is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense with their English translations:

  1. J’avais cherché mes clés avant de partir. (I had looked for my keys before leaving.)
  2. Tu avais cherché un emploi avant de déménager. (You had searched for a job before moving.)
  3. Il avait cherché partout mais il n’avait pas trouvé son livre. (He had searched everywhere but he hadn’t found his book.)

In each of these examples, the action of searching (chercher) happened before the main past action (partir, déménager, trouver). The Plus-que-parfait tense is commonly used in French to add depth and detail to past events.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais cherché J’avais cherché mes clés. I had looked for my keys.
tu tu avais cherché Tu avais cherché ton téléphone. You had looked for your phone.
il il avait cherché Il avait cherché son livre. He had looked for his book.
elle elle avait cherché Elle avait cherché ses lunettes. She had looked for her glasses.
on on avait cherché On avait cherché le chat. One had looked for the cat.
nous nous avions cherché Nous avions cherché notre voiture. We had looked for our car.
vous vous aviez cherché Vous aviez cherché votre passeport. You had looked for your passport.
ils ils avaient cherché Ils avaient cherché leurs clés. They had looked for their keys.
elles elles avaient cherché Elles avaient cherché leur sac. They had looked for their bag.

Other Conjugations for Chercher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chercher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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