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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb combiner

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The English translation of the French verb combiner is “to combine.” It is pronounced as “kɔ̃.bi.ne.”

The word “combiner” comes from the Latin word “combinare,” meaning “to unite or join together.” It is most often used in everyday French as a transitive verb, meaning it requires an object to complete its meaning.

In the plus-que-parfait tense, combiner is used to describe an action that was completed before another action or event in the past. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the imparfait tense, followed by the past participle of combiner, which is “combiné.”

Here are three examples of combiner in the plus-que-parfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais combiné mes vacances avant de recevoir ton invitation. (I had planned my vacation before receiving your invitation.)
  2. Elle avait déjà combiné son voyage en Europe quand elle a appris la nouvelle. (She had already organized her trip to Europe when she heard the news.)
  3. Nous avions combiné nos efforts pour réussir le projet. (We had combined our efforts to succeed in the project.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais combiné J’avais combiné les ingrédients. I had combined the ingredients.
tu tu avais combiné Tu avais combiné les couleurs. You had combined the colors.
il il avait combiné Il avait combiné les informations. He had combined the information.
elle elle avait combiné Elle avait combiné les pièces. She had combined the pieces.
on on avait combiné On avait combiné les idées. One had combined the ideas.
nous nous avions combiné Nous avions combiné les talents. We had combined the talents.
vous vous aviez combiné Vous aviez combiné les outils. You had combined the tools.
ils ils avaient combiné Ils avaient combiné les forces. They had combined the forces.
elles elles avaient combiné Elles avaient combiné les ressources. They had combined the resources.

Other Conjugations for Combiner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb combiner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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