Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pencher
Introduction to the verb pencher
The English translation of the French verb pencher is “to tilt” or “to lean.” The infinitive form of pencher is pronounced as “pahn-SHAY.”
The word “pencher” comes from the Latin word “plicare” which means “to fold.” In everyday French, the verb is often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to indicate an action that happened before a specified time in the past. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the imparfait tense and adding the past participle form of pencher.
Here are 3 simple examples of how pencher is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense:
- J’avais penché ma tête en arrière quand il m’a pris en photo. (I had tilted my head back when he took a picture of me.)
- Elle était penchée sur son livre quand je suis entré dans la pièce. (She had been leaning over her book when I entered the room.)
- Nous avions penché la table pour la déplacer vers la fenêtre. (We had tilted the table to move it towards the window.)
In these examples, the Plus-que-parfait tense is used to indicate an action that happened before another action in the past. The English translations also use the past perfect tense to convey the same meaning.
Table of the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of pencher
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | j’avais penché | J’avais penché la tête. | I had leaned my head. |
tu | tu avais penché | Tu avais penché le vase. | You had tilted the vase. |
il | il avait penché | Il avait penché la chaise. | He had tilted the chair. |
elle | elle avait penché | Elle avait penché la cruche. | She had tilted the jug. |
on | on avait penché | On avait penché le tableau. | One had tilted the painting. |
nous | nous avions penché | Nous avions penché la table. | We had tilted the table. |
vous | vous aviez penché | Vous aviez penché le livre. | You had tilted the book. |
ils | ils avaient penché | Ils avaient penché le miroir. | They had tilted the mirror. |
elles | elles avaient penché | Elles avaient penché le cadre. | They had tilted the frame. |
Other Conjugations for Pencher.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb pencher
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pencher
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pencher
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pencher
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pencher
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pencher
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pencher (this article)
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pencher
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pencher
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pencher
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pencher
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pencher
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pencher
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pencher
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pencher
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pencher
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pencher
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Pencher – About the French Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense
Tense Formation
Common everyday usage patterns
Sequencing of past events
Background information
Hypothetical or reported speech
Interactions with other tenses
Summary
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