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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb négocier

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The English translation of the French verb négocier is “to negotiate.” It is pronounced “nay-go-see-ay.”

The word négocier comes from the Latin term “negotiari” meaning “to do business.” It entered the French language in the 14th century and has been used to refer to the act of discussing or bargaining in a business or political context.

In everyday French, négocier is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to indicate an action that was completed before another action in the past. For example, “J’avais négocié” means “I had negotiated.”

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

  1. J’avais négocié un meilleur prix avant de signer le contrat. (I had negotiated a better price before signing the contract.)

  2. Ils avaient négocié avec le gouvernement pour obtenir un accord favorable. (They had negotiated with the government to obtain a favorable agreement.)

  3. Elle avait négocié avec son patron pour avoir une augmentation de salaire. (She had negotiated with her boss for a salary increase.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais négocié J’avais négocié un accord. I had negotiated an agreement.
tu tu avais négocié Tu avais négocié un salaire. You had negotiated a salary.
il il avait négocié Il avait négocié avec le client. He had negotiated with the client.
elle elle avait négocié Elle avait négocié un contrat. She had negotiated a contract.
on on avait négocié On avait négocié une entente. One had negotiated an agreement.
nous nous avions négocié Nous avions négocié une offre. We had negotiated an offer.
vous vous aviez négocié Vous aviez négocié un accord. You had negotiated an agreement.
ils ils avaient négocié Ils avaient négocié les termes. They had negotiated the terms.
elles elles avaient négocié Elles avaient négocié le prix. They had negotiated the price.

Other Conjugations for Négocier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb négocier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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