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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb polycopier

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The English translation of the French verb polycopier is “to photocopy.” It is pronounced “poh-lee-koh-pee-ay.”

The word polycopier comes from the French words “poly” meaning “many” and “copier” meaning “to copy.” It was first used in the 20th century and has since become a commonly used verb in everyday French.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, polycopier is used to talk about an action that had already been completed before another past action. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Imparfait tense, followed by the past participle “polycopié.”

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

  1. J’avais polycopié le document avant de le remettre à mon patron.
    Translation: I had photocopied the document before handing it to my boss.

  2. Elle était déjà partie lorsque j’ai remarqué qu’elle avait polycopié mes notes.
    Translation: She had already left when I noticed that she had copied my notes.

  3. Nous avions polycopié toutes les pages du livre avant de le rendre à la bibliothèque.
    Translation: We had photocopied all the pages of the book before returning it to the library.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais polycopié J’avais polycopié le document. I had photocopied the document.
tu tu avais polycopié Tu avais polycopié ton rapport. You had photocopied your report.
il il avait polycopié Il avait polycopié le livre. He had photocopied the book.
elle elle avait polycopié Elle avait polycopié ses notes. She had photocopied her notes.
on on avait polycopié On avait polycopié les feuilles. One had photocopied the sheets.
nous nous avions polycopié Nous avions polycopié le dossier. We had photocopied the folder.
vous vous aviez polycopié Vous aviez polycopié les documents. You had photocopied the documents.
ils ils avaient polycopié Ils avaient polycopié les plans. They had photocopied the plans.
elles elles avaient polycopié Elles avaient polycopié les contrats. They had photocopied the contracts.

Other Conjugations for Polycopier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb polycopier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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