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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb interpeler

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The English translation of the French verb interpeler is “to call out” or “to challenge.” It is pronounced as “ahn-tehr-peh-leh” in its infinitive form.

The language origin of interpeler can be traced back to the Latin word “interpellare,” which means “to interrupt” or “to question.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of using interpeler in the Plus-que-parfait tense and their English translations:

  1. J’avais interpelé le voleur avant qu’il ne puisse s’échapper. (I had called out to the thief before he could escape.)
  2. Les manifestants avaient interpelé le président lors de sa visite à la ville. (The protesters had challenged the president during his visit to the city.)
  3. Elle avait interpelé son patron pour lui demander une augmentation de salaire. (She had called out to her boss to ask for a raise.)

In all of these examples, interpeler is used to describe an action that was completed in the past and is no longer ongoing. In the Plus-que-parfait tense, it is often used to add more context to a past event or to describe a sequence of events.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais interpellé J’avais interpellé le témoin. I had questioned the witness.
tu tu avais interpellé Tu avais interpellé le suspect. You had confronted the suspect.
il il avait interpellé Il avait interpellé l’inconnu. He had accosted the stranger.
elle elle avait interpellé Elle avait interpellé le coupable. She had challenged the guilty party.
on on avait interpellé On avait interpellé le suspect. One had apprehended the suspect.
nous nous avions interpellé Nous avions interpellé le chef. We had confronted the leader.
vous vous aviez interpellé Vous aviez interpellé le conducteur. You had questioned the driver.
ils ils avaient interpellé Ils avaient interpellé le voleur. They had confronted the thief.
elles elles avaient interpellé Elles avaient interpellé l’équipe adverse. They had challenged the opposing team.

Other Conjugations for Interpeler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb interpeler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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