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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb expédier

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The English translation of the French verb expédier is “to send” or “to dispatch.” It is pronounced as “eks-pey-dyey” in its infinitive form.

The word expédier comes from the Latin word “expedire,” meaning “to hasten, to free.” It entered the French language in the 14th century and originally referred to the act of preparing and outfitting a military expedition. Over time, the meaning evolved to include the idea of sending something or someone on a journey.

In everyday French, the verb expédier 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 past action or point in time.

Here are three simple examples of how expédier is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais expédié le colis avant de partir en vacances.
    I had sent the package before going on vacation.

  2. Vous aviez expédié les invitations la semaine dernière.
    You had sent the invitations last week.

  3. Ils s’étaient expédiés en Amérique avant la Grande Dépression.
    They had emigrated to America before the Great Depression.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais expédié J’avais expédié le colis. I had shipped the package.
tu tu avais expédié Tu avais expédié la lettre. You had sent the letter.
il il avait expédié Il avait expédié le courrier. He had sent the mail.
elle elle avait expédié Elle avait expédié le paquet. She had shipped the parcel.
on on avait expédié On avait expédié le paquet. One had shipped the parcel.
nous nous avions expédié Nous avions expédié le colis. We had shipped the package.
vous vous aviez expédié Vous aviez expédié le colis. You had shipped the package.
ils ils avaient expédié Ils avaient expédié le colis. They had shipped the package.
elles elles avaient expédié Elles avaient expédié le colis. They had shipped the package.

Other Conjugations for Expédier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb expédier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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