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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb palper

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The English translation of the French verb palper is “to touch” or “to feel.” It is pronounced as pahl-pay.

The word “palper” comes from the Latin word “palpare,” meaning “to touch lightly.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past tense used to describe an action that occurred before another action in the past.

Some examples of its usage in the Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. J’avais palpé le tissu avant de l’acheter. (I had touched the fabric before buying it.)
  2. Tu avais palpé sa fièvre avant d’appeler le médecin. (You had felt his fever before calling the doctor.)
  3. Il avait palpé son cœur pour vérifier s’il battait normalement. (He had checked his heart rate to see if it was normal.)

In these examples, the action of “touching” or “feeling” occurred before another action in the past (buying, calling, checking). The Plus-que-parfait tense is often used to add more detail and context to a past action.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais palpé J’avais palpé la blessure. I had felt/touched the wound.
tu tu avais palpé Tu avais palpé le fruit. You had felt/touched the fruit.
il il avait palpé Il avait palpé le tissu. He had felt/touched the fabric.
elle elle avait palpé Elle avait palpé l’objet. She had felt/touched the object.
on on avait palpé On avait palpé le sol. One had felt/touched the ground.
nous nous avions palpé Nous avions palpé la texture. We had felt/touched the texture.
vous vous aviez palpé Vous aviez palpé la surface. You had felt/touched the surface.
ils ils avaient palpé Ils avaient palpé la matière. They had felt/touched the material.
elles elles avaient palpé Elles avaient palpé la peau. They had felt/touched the skin.

Other Conjugations for Palper.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb palper
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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