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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb irradier

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The English translation of the French verb irradier is “to irradiate” or “to emit radiation.” The infinitive form of irradier is pronounced “ee-rah-dee-ay.”

Irradier comes from the Latin word “irradiare,” meaning “to radiate.” It entered the French language in the 16th century.

In everyday French, irradier is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait (pluperfect) tense to describe an action that had already been completed in the past.

3 examples of irradier in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais déjà été irradié par les rayons du soleil quand j’ai décidé de mettre de la crème solaire. (I had already been irradiated by the sun’s rays when I decided to put on sunscreen.)
  2. Nous avions été irradiés par la radioactivité avant d’être évacués de la zone contaminée. (We had been irradiated by radioactivity before being evacuated from the contaminated zone.)
  3. Le patient avait été irradié à plusieurs reprises avant de remarquer une amélioration de son état de santé. (The patient had been irradiated several times before noticing an improvement in their health.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais irradié J’avais irradié la salle avec des lumières colorées. I had irradiated the room with colorful lights.
tu tu avais irradié Tu avais irradié la plante avec un rayonnement UV. You had irradiated the plant with UV radiation.
il il avait irradié Il avait irradié la région avec des déchets radioactifs. He had irradiated the region with radioactive waste.
elle elle avait irradié Elle avait irradié la nourriture avec des rayons gamma. She had irradiated the food with gamma rays.
on on avait irradié On avait irradié la population avec des radiations. One had irradiated the population with radiation.
nous nous avions irradié Nous avions irradié l’immeuble avec un faisceau laser. We had irradiated the building with a laser beam.
vous vous aviez irradié Vous aviez irradié le laboratoire avec des particules. You had irradiated the laboratory with particles.
ils ils avaient irradié Ils avaient irradié la ville avec une bombe nucléaire. They had irradiated the city with a nuclear bomb.
elles elles avaient irradié Elles avaient irradié le quartier avec des antennes They had irradiated the neighborhood with antennas.

Other Conjugations for Irradier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb irradier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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