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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cocher

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The English translation of the French verb cocher is “to check” or “to mark.”

The infinitive form of cocher is pronounced as “koh-shay.”

The word cocher comes from the Old French word “cochier,” meaning “to ride in a coach.” This evolved into the modern French word “cocher,” which refers to a person who drives a coach or carriage. Later on, the word was used to describe the action of marking or checking off items on a list, similar to how a coachman would check off passengers on a list before departing.

In everyday French, cocher is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. It is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action.

  1. J’avais déjà coché toutes les cases avant que tu n’arrives. (I had already checked all the boxes before you arrived.)
  2. Nous avions coché tous les noms de la liste avant de partir. (We had checked off all the names on the list before leaving.)
  3. Elle m’avait dit qu’elle avait coché tous les articles dont nous avions besoin. (She had told me she had checked off all the items we needed.)

In these examples, the action of checking or marking off items on a list (cocher) was completed before another past action (arriving, leaving, telling).

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais cochée J’avais cochée toutes les cases. I had checked all the boxes.
tu tu avais cochée Tu avais cochée la bonne réponse. You had checked the correct answer.
il il avait cochée Il avait cochée la case. He had checked the box.
elle elle avait cochée Elle avait cochée toutes les cases. She had checked all the boxes.
on on avait cochée On avait cochée la case. One had checked the box.
nous nous avions cochée Nous avions cochée cette option. We had checked this option.
vous vous aviez cochée Vous aviez cochée la bonne réponse. You had checked the correct answer.
ils ils avaient cochée Ils avaient cochée toutes les options. They had checked all the options.
elles elles avaient cochée Elles avaient cochée la case. They had checked the box.

Other Conjugations for Cocher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cocher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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