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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb improuver

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The English translation of the French verb improuver is “to improve.” It is pronounced as “ahn-proo-vay.”

The word improuver comes from the French verb améliorer, meaning “to make better” or “to improve.” It is a combination of the prefix “im-” meaning “in” or “into” and the verb “prouver” meaning “to prove.” Therefore, improuver can be understood as “to prove into” or “to make better.”

In everyday French, improuver is commonly used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses actions that were completed before a specific point in the past. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb avoir or être in the Imparfait tense followed by the past participle of improuver.

Here are three simple examples of improuver in the Plus-que-parfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais amélioré mon français avant de partir en France. (I had improved my French before going to France.)

  2. Il avait amélioré sa technique de peinture avant de commencer son chef-d’œuvre. (He had improved his painting technique before starting his masterpiece.)

  3. Nous étions déjà arrivés à l’aéroport lorsque nous avons réalisé que nous avions oublié d’améliorer notre plan de voyage. (We had already arrived at the airport when we realized we had forgotten to improve our travel plan.)

Overall, improuver is a versatile verb that can be used to describe any type of improvement or enhancement in various contexts. It is commonly used in both formal and informal speech to express progress or advancement in a certain skill or situation.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais amélioré J’avais amélioré mon français. I had improved my French.
tu tu avais amélioré Tu avais amélioré ta présentation. You had improved your presentation.
il il avait amélioré Il avait amélioré sa performance. He had improved his performance.
elle elle avait amélioré Elle avait amélioré son dessin. She had improved her drawing.
on on avait amélioré On avait amélioré notre cuisine. One had improved our cooking.
nous nous avions amélioré Nous avions amélioré nos compétences. We had improved our skills.
vous vous aviez amélioré Vous aviez amélioré votre français. You had improved your French.
ils ils avaient amélioré Ils avaient amélioré leur jardin. They had improved their garden.
elles elles avaient amélioré Elles avaient amélioré leur présentation. They had improved their presentation.

Other Conjugations for Improuver.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb improuver
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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