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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb importer

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of importer. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb importer is “to import.” It is pronounced “ahn-por-tey” in the infinitive form.

The word “importer” comes from the Latin word “importare,” meaning “to bring in.” In everyday French, it is most often used to describe the act of bringing goods or products into a country or region from another country.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English, “importer” 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 their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais importé des fruits exotiques avant que la saison ne se termine. (I had imported exotic fruits before the season ended.)

  2. Tu avais importé ces vins rares pour notre anniversaire. (You had imported these rare wines for our anniversary.)

  3. Ils avaient importé des tissus de soie de Chine pour leur nouvelle collection. (They had imported silk fabrics from China for their new collection.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais importé J’avais importé les fruits exotiques. I had imported exotic fruits.
tu tu avais importé Tu avais importé la voiture. You had imported the car.
il il avait importé Il avait importé les produits chimiques. He had imported chemicals.
elle elle avait importé Elle avait importé les produits de beauté. She had imported beauty products.
on on avait importé On avait importé les épices. One had imported spices.
nous nous avions importé Nous avions importé du vin français. We had imported French wine.
vous vous aviez importé Vous aviez importé du chocolat belge. You had imported Belgian chocolate.
ils ils avaient importé Ils avaient importé des tissus d’Afrique. They had imported fabrics from Africa.
elles elles avaient importé Elles avaient importé des bijoux indiens. They had imported Indian jewelry.

Other Conjugations for Importer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb importer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the importer Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts