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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb effectuer

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The English translation of the French verb effectuer is “to perform” or “to carry out.” The infinitive form of effectuer is pronounced as “eh-fek-ter.”

Effectuer comes from the Old French word effectuer, which is derived from the Latin word effectus, meaning “accomplishment” or “result.” It is most commonly used in everyday French to indicate the act of completing or accomplishing a task or action. In the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English, effectuer is used to talk about an action that was completed before another past action.

Here are three examples of how effectuer is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense in everyday French with their English translations:

  1. J’avais effectué mes devoirs avant de sortir. (I had completed my homework before going out.)

  2. Elle avait effectué toutes les démarches pour obtenir son visa avant de partir en voyage. (She had completed all the necessary steps to get her visa before leaving for her trip.)

  3. Nous avions effectué les travaux de rénovation avant de vendre la maison. (We had carried out the renovation work before selling the house.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais effectué J’avais effectué mes devoirs. I had completed my homework.
tu tu avais effectué Tu avais effectué le paiement. You had made the payment.
il il avait effectué Il avait effectué une réservation. He had made a reservation.
elle elle avait effectué Elle avait effectué une présentation. She had given a presentation.
on on avait effectué On avait effectué des recherches. One had conducted research.
nous nous avions effectué Nous avions effectué des achats. We had made purchases.
vous vous aviez effectué Vous aviez effectué le travail. You had completed the work.
ils ils avaient effectué Ils avaient effectué un projet. They had worked on a project.
elles elles avaient effectué Elles avaient effectué une enquête. They had conducted a survey.

Other Conjugations for Effectuer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb effectuer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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