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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb laper

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The English translation of the French verb laper is “to lap” or “to lick up.” It is pronounced as “lah-per” in its infinitive form.

The word laper has its origin in the Old French word “lapu,” which means “to lap or lick.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that had already been completed before another past action.

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

  1. J’avais lappé toute l’eau avant que le chien ne s’approche. (I had lapped up all the water before the dog approached.)
  2. Elle avait lappé la crème sur le gâteau quand je suis entré dans la cuisine. (She had licked up the cream on the cake when I entered the kitchen.)
  3. Nous avions lappé le lait avant de partir pour l’école. (We had lapped up the milk before leaving for school.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais lapé J’avais lapé l’eau dans la gamelle. I had lapped up the water in the bowl.
tu tu avais lapé Tu avais lapé le lait dans la soucoupe. You had lapped up the milk in the saucer.
il il avait lapé Il avait lapé le bouillon dans le bol. He had lapped up the broth in the bowl.
elle elle avait lapé Elle avait lapé la crème dans le verre. She had lapped up the cream in the glass.
on on avait lapé On avait lapé le champagne dans les coupes. One had lapped up the champagne in the glasses.
nous nous avions lapé Nous avions lapé l’eau dans les bassines. We had lapped up the water in the basins.
vous vous aviez lapé Vous aviez lapé le lait dans les bols. You had lapped up the milk in the bowls.
ils ils avaient lapé Ils avaient lapé le bouillon dans les assiettes. They had lapped up the broth in the plates.
elles elles avaient lapé Elles avaient lapé la crème dans les tasses. They had lapped up the cream in the cups.

Other Conjugations for Laper.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb laper
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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