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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contribuer

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The English translation of the French verb contribuer is “to contribute.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “kohn-tree-bweh.”

The word “contribuer” comes from the Latin word “contribuere,” which means “to bring together.” It entered the French language in the 14th century and has been used in its current form since the 16th century.

In every day French, contribuer is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past. It is formed in French by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Here are 3 simple examples of its usage in the Plus-que-parfait tense, with the respective English translations:

  1. J’avais contribué à la réalisation du projet avant de partir en vacances.
    Translation: I had contributed to the completion of the project before going on vacation.

  2. Ils étaient tous fatigués car ils avaient beaucoup contribué à l’organisation de la fête.
    Translation: They were all tired because they had contributed a lot to the organization of the party.

  3. Elle avait déjà contribué à plusieurs associations caritatives avant de créer la sienne.
    Translation: She had already contributed to several charitable organizations before creating her own.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais contribué J’avais contribué à la campagne. I had contributed to the campaign.
tu tu avais contribué Tu avais contribué à l’effort. You had contributed to the effort.
il il avait contribué Il avait contribué à la cause. He had contributed to the cause.
elle elle avait contribué Elle avait contribué à la recherche. She had contributed to the research.
on on avait contribué On avait contribué à l’événement. One had contributed to the event.
nous nous avions contribué Nous avions contribué à la discussion. We had contributed to the discussion.
vous vous aviez contribué Vous aviez contribué à la réunion. You had contributed to the meeting.
ils ils avaient contribué Ils avaient contribué à la protestation. They had contributed to the protest.
elles elles avaient contribué Elles avaient contribué à la manifestation. They had contributed to the demonstration.

Other Conjugations for Contribuer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contribuer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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