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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb coïncider

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The English translation of the French verb coïncider is “to coincide.” It is pronounced as “kwan-see-deh” in its infinitive form.

The word coïncider comes from the Latin word “coincidere,” meaning “to agree or correspond.” It entered the French language in the 16th century and has remained a commonly used verb ever since.

In everyday French, coïncider is often used in the plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to describe an action that has been completed before another past action. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the imperfect tense followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Here are three simple examples of coïncider being used in the plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. Ma réservation avait coïncidé avec leur annulation. (My reservation had coincided with their cancellation.)
  2. Les deux événements avaient coïncidé dans le même lieu. (The two events had coincided in the same place.)
  3. Leur emploi du temps n’avait pas coïncidé avec le mien. (Their schedule had not coincided with mine.)

In these examples, you can see how coïncider is used to describe an action that had already happened in the past, before another action. It is a useful verb for expressing timing and coincidence in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais coïncidé J’avais coïncidé avec son emploi du temps. I had coincided with his schedule.
tu tu avais coïncidé Tu avais coïncidé avec ses intérêts. You had coincided with his interests.
il il avait coïncidé Il avait coïncidé avec la date prévue. He had coincided with the scheduled date.
elle elle avait coïncidé Elle avait coïncidé avec ses vacances. She had coincided with her vacation.
on on avait coïncidé On avait coïncidé avec les prévisions. One had coincided with the forecasts.
nous nous avions coïncidé Nous avions coïncidé avec nos plans. We had coincided with our plans.
vous vous aviez coïncidé Vous aviez coïncidé avec les résultats. You had coincided with the results.
ils ils avaient coïncidé Ils avaient coïncidé avec les horaires. They had coincided with the schedules.
elles elles avaient coïncidé Elles avaient coïncidé avec les prévisions. They had coincided with the forecasts.

Other Conjugations for Coïncider.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coïncider
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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