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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb copuler

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The English translation of the French verb copuler is “to copulate.” It is pronounced as “koh-pu-lay.”

The language origin of copuler comes from the Latin word “copulare,” meaning “to join together.” In everyday French, this verb is used to describe the act of sexual intercourse.

In the plus-que-parfait tense, copuler is used to describe an action that had already happened in the past before another action. For example:

  1. J’avais copulé avec mon ex avant de rencontrer mon mari. (I had copulated with my ex before meeting my husband.)
  2. Ils avaient copulé plusieurs fois avant de se séparer. (They had copulated several times before breaking up.)
  3. Elle avait copulé avec son patron pour obtenir une promotion. (She had copulated with her boss to get a promotion.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais copulé J’avais copulé avec mon partenaire. I had copulated with my partner.
tu tu avais copulé Tu avais copulé avec ton partenaire. You had copulated with your partner.
il il avait copulé Il avait copulé avec sa partenaire. He had copulated with his partner.
elle elle avait copulé Elle avait copulé avec son partenaire. She had copulated with her partner.
on on avait copulé On avait copulé avec notre partenaire. One had copulated with our partner.
nous nous avions copulé Nous avions copulé avec nos partenaires. We had copulated with our partners.
vous vous aviez copulé Vous aviez copulé avec vos partenaires. You had copulated with your partners.
ils ils avaient copulé Ils avaient copulé avec leurs partenaires. They had copulated with their partners.
elles elles avaient copulé Elles avaient copulé avec leurs partenaires. They had copulated with their partners.

Other Conjugations for Copuler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb copuler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Copuler – 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.

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