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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb incorporer

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The English translation of the French verb incorporer is “to incorporate.” The infinitive form is pronounced “an-kor-por-ay.”

The word incorporer comes from the Latin word “incorporare” which means “to unite” or “to join together.” It entered the French language in the Middle Ages and has been used in its current form since the 14th century.

Incorporer is most often used in everyday French in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which corresponds to the pluperfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that had already been completed before another past action.

Example 1: J’avais incorporé le beurre avant de verser la farine dans le mélange. (I had incorporated the butter before adding the flour to the mixture.)

Example 2: Nous avions déjà incorporé les nouvelles idées dans notre projet lorsque nous avons reçu de nouveaux renseignements. (We had already incorporated the new ideas into our project when we received new information.)

Example 3: Les chefs d’entreprise avaient incorporé de nouvelles technologies dans leur stratégie avant que la concurrence ne le fasse. (The business leaders had incorporated new technologies into their strategy before the competition did.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais incorporé J’avais incorporé les ingrédients. I had incorporated the ingredients.
tu tu avais incorporé Tu avais incorporé le mélange. You had incorporated the mixture.
il il avait incorporé Il avait incorporé la nouvelle stratégie. He had incorporated the new strategy.
elle elle avait incorporé Elle avait incorporé la nouvelle recette. She had incorporated the new recipe.
on on avait incorporé On avait incorporé la nouvelle règle. One had incorporated the new rule.
nous nous avions incorporé Nous avions incorporé les nouvelles idées. We had incorporated the new ideas.
vous vous aviez incorporé Vous aviez incorporé la nouvelle méthode. You had incorporated the new method.
ils ils avaient incorporé Ils avaient incorporé la nouvelle technologie. They had incorporated the new technology.
elles elles avaient incorporé Elles avaient incorporé la nouvelle tradition. They had incorporated the new tradition.

Other Conjugations for Incorporer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb incorporer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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