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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb en approcher

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The English translation of the French verb en approcher is “to approach.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “ahn ah-prow-shay.”

The verb en approcher comes from the Old French word “approchier,” which is derived from the Latin word “appropiare,” meaning “to come near.” It is most often used in everyday French language to express the action of getting closer to something or someone.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, en approcher is used to talk about an action that had been completed before another action in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with the respective English translations:

  1. J’avais en approché le chien avant qu’il ne mordille mon sac. (I had approached the dog before he started chewing on my bag.)
  2. Nous avions en approché la ville lorsque la pluie a commencé. (We had approached the city when the rain started.)
  3. Tu avais en approché les règles du jeu avant de commencer à jouer. (You had approached the rules of the game before starting to play.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais approché J’avais approché la table. I had moved the table closer.
tu tu avais approché Tu avais approché ta chaise. You had moved your chair closer.
il il avait approché Il avait approché sa voiture. He had moved his car closer.
elle elle avait approché Elle avait approché sa valise. She had moved her suitcase closer.
on on avait approché On avait approché le canapé. One had moved the couch closer.
nous nous avions approché Nous avions approché la table. We had moved the table closer.
vous vous aviez approché Vous aviez approché vos chaises. You had moved your chairs closer.
ils ils avaient approché Ils avaient approché leur vélo. They had moved their bike closer.
elles elles avaient approché Elles avaient approché leur lit. They had moved their bed closer.

Other Conjugations for En Approcher.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb en approcher
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb en approcher
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb en approcher
   

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

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb en approcher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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En Approcher – 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 en approcher. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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