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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb lapiner

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The English translation of the French verb lapiner is “to chase” or “to pursue”. It is pronounced as lah-pee-nay.

The word lapiner comes from the French word “lapin” which means rabbit. It is derived from the Latin word “lappus” which also means rabbit. In everyday French, lapiner is used in its Plus-que-parfait tense to indicate an action that was completed in the past before another action or event.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. J’avais lapiné le lapin avant de le faire cuire. (I had chased the rabbit before cooking it.)
  2. Les chiens avaient lapiné les lapins toute la journée. (The dogs had been chasing rabbits all day.)
  3. Nous avions lapiné ensemble dans le parc. (We had chased each other in the park.)

English translations:

  1. I had chased the rabbit before cooking it.
  2. The dogs had been chasing rabbits all day.
  3. We had been chasing each other in the park.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais lapiné J’avais lapiné dans le jardin. I had chased rabbits in the garden.
tu tu avais lapiné Tu avais lapiné dans le parc. You had chased rabbits in the park.
il il avait lapiné Il avait lapiné dans les bois. He had chased rabbits in the woods.
elle elle avait lapiné Elle avait lapiné dans le champ. She had chased rabbits in the field.
on on avait lapiné On avait lapiné dans le verger. One had chased rabbits in the orchard.
nous nous avions lapiné Nous avions lapiné dans la prairie. We had chased rabbits in the meadow.
vous vous aviez lapiné Vous aviez lapiné dans le jardin. You had chased rabbits in the garden.
ils ils avaient lapiné Ils avaient lapiné dans les champs. They had chased rabbits in the fields.
elles elles avaient lapiné Elles avaient lapiné dans le parc. They had chased rabbits in the park.

Other Conjugations for Lapiner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb lapiner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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