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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb provoquer

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The English translation of the French verb provoquer is “to provoke.” The infinitive form of provoquer is pronounced “pro-voh-kay.”

The language origin of provoquer comes from the Latin word “provocare,” which means “to call forth” or “to challenge.” In French, provoquer is most often used in its literal meaning of causing a reaction or stirring up feelings.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, provoquer is used to describe an action that had already been completed before another past action. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the imperfect tense and adding the past participle of provoquer, which is “provoqué.”

Here are three examples of provoquer used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais provoqué une réaction en lui parlant de son ex. (I had provoked a reaction in him by talking about his ex.)

  2. Tu avais provoqué la colère de ton père en refusant de nettoyer ta chambre. (You had provoked your father’s anger by refusing to clean your room.)

  3. Elle avait provoqué des rires en racontant une blague pendant le dîner. (She had provoked laughter by telling a joke during dinner.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais provoqué J’avais provoqué une réaction. I had provoked a reaction.
tu tu avais provoqué Tu avais provoqué une dispute. You had provoked an argument.
il il avait provoqué Il avait provoqué un accident. He had caused an accident.
elle elle avait provoqué Elle avait provoqué une explosion. She had caused an explosion.
on on avait provoqué On avait provoqué un incendie. One had started a fire.
nous nous avions provoqué Nous avions provoqué un débat. We had triggered a debate.
vous vous aviez provoqué Vous aviez provoqué une manifestation. You had provoked a protest.
ils ils avaient provoqué Ils avaient provoqué une révolte. They had caused a revolt.
elles elles avaient provoqué Elles avaient provoqué une panique. They had caused a panic.

Other Conjugations for Provoquer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb provoquer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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