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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb inspirer

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The English translation of the French verb inspirer is “to inspire.” The infinitive form of the verb is pronounced “ahn-spee-reh.”

The word “inspirer” comes from the Latin word “inspirare,” meaning “to breathe or blow into.” It entered the French language in the 12th century and has since evolved to have various meanings, including “to stimulate, encourage, or motivate.”

In everyday French, the verb “inspirer” is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of the verb “inspirer” in the Plus-que-parfait tense, with their English translations:

  1. J’avais été inspiré par son discours avant de prendre la décision. (I had been inspired by his speech before making the decision.)
  2. Tu avais inspiré les autres étudiants à poursuivre leurs rêves. (You had inspired the other students to pursue their dreams.)
  3. Il avait inspiré l’amour et le respect de ses collègues grâce à son travail acharné. (He had inspired love and respect from his colleagues through his hard work.)

Overall, “inspirer” is a versatile verb that can be used in various contexts to convey the idea of motivating or stimulating someone or something. In the Plus-que-parfait tense, it emphasizes actions that were completed before a specific past event.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais inspiré J’avais inspiré ma sœur avec mes idées. I had inspired my sister with my ideas.
tu tu avais inspiré Tu avais inspiré ta communauté avec tes actions. You had inspired your community with your actions.
il il avait inspiré Il avait inspiré le public avec son discours. He had inspired the audience with his speech.
elle elle avait inspiré Elle avait inspiré ses amis avec ses talents. She had inspired her friends with her talents.
on on avait inspiré On avait inspiré les étudiants avec nos conseils. One had inspired the students with our advice.
nous nous avions inspiré Nous avions inspiré nos collègues avec nos idées. We had inspired our colleagues with our ideas.
vous vous aviez inspiré Vous aviez inspiré les enfants avec vos histoires. You had inspired the children with your stories.
ils ils avaient inspiré Ils avaient inspiré les autres avec leur travail. They had inspired others with their work.
elles elles avaient inspiré Elles avaient inspiré leurs familles avec leurs réalisations. They had inspired their families with their achievements.

Other Conjugations for Inspirer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb inspirer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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