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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb harper

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The English translation of the French verb harper is “to harp.” It is pronounced “ahr-pay” in its infinitive form.

The language origin of harper can be traced back to the Old High German word “harpha” which means “hook or sickle,” as the harp was originally shaped like a sickle. In everyday French, the verb “harper” is used to describe the action of playing the harp or to refer to someone who plays the harp. It can also be used figuratively to describe someone who is being very persuasive or skillful in their words.

Examples of harper in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais harpé toute la nuit pour perfectionner mon jeu. (I had been harping all night to perfect my playing.)
  2. Tu avais bien harpé pour convaincre tes parents de te laisser partir en voyage. (You had really harped to convince your parents to let you go on the trip.)
  3. Ils avaient déjà harpé pendant des heures quand ils ont décidé de faire une pause. (They had already been harping for hours when they decided to take a break.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais harpé J’avais harpé toute la nuit. I had harped all night.
tu tu avais harpé Tu avais harpé une chanson. You had harped a song.
il il avait harpé Il avait harpé avec passion. He had harped with passion.
elle elle avait harpé Elle avait harpé sur sa guitare. She had harped on her guitar.
on on avait harpé On avait harpé ensemble. One had harped together.
nous nous avions harpé Nous avions harpé pour le public. We had harped for the audience.
vous vous aviez harpé Vous aviez harpé autour du feu. You had harped around the fire.
ils ils avaient harpé Ils avaient harpé avec talent. They had harped with talent.
elles elles avaient harpé Elles avaient harpé en harmonie. They had harped in harmony.

Other Conjugations for Harper.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb harper
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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