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

Introduction to the verb insérer

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The English translation of the French verb insérer is “to insert.” It is pronounced “ahn-seh-ray.”

Insérer comes from the Latin word “insertus,” meaning “to put in.” In everyday French, insérer is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait (pluperfect) tense to express an action that had already been completed in the past before another action took place.

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

  1. J’avais inséré la clé dans la serrure avant de me rendre compte que j’avais oublié mes clés à l’intérieur. (I had inserted the key into the lock before realizing that I had forgotten my keys inside.)

  2. Ils avaient inséré leur publicité dans le journal pour augmenter leurs ventes. (They had inserted their advertisement in the newspaper to increase their sales.)

  3. Elle m’avait inséré dans son groupe d’amis avant que je ne déménage pour une autre ville. (She had inserted me into her friend group before I moved to another city.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais inséré J’avais inséré le disque. I had inserted the disc.
tu tu avais inséré Tu avais inséré la clé. You had inserted the key.
il il avait inséré Il avait inséré le document. He had inserted the document.
elle elle avait inséré Elle avait inséré l’image. She had inserted the image.
on on avait inséré On avait inséré le formulaire. One had inserted the form.
nous nous avions inséré Nous avions inséré le code. We had inserted the code.
vous vous aviez inséré Vous aviez inséré le câble. You had inserted the cable.
ils ils avaient inséré Ils avaient inséré le CD. They had inserted the CD.
elles elles avaient inséré Elles avaient inséré la clé USB. They had inserted the USB drive.

Other Conjugations for Insérer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb insérer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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