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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb ramasser

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The English translation of the French verb ramasser is “to pick up” or “to gather.” The infinitive form, “ramasser,” is pronounced as “rah-mah-say.”

The word “ramasser” is derived from the Latin word “rādĕre,” meaning “to scrape” or “to gather.” It entered the French language in the 12th century with the same meaning.

In everyday French, “ramasser” is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which corresponds to the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that had already been completed in the past.

Here are three simple examples of “ramasser” used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, with their English translations:

  1. J’avais ramassé les feuilles mortes avant qu’il ne pleuve. (I had picked up the dead leaves before it rained.)
  2. Elle avait ramassé ses affaires avant de partir. (She had gathered her things before leaving.)
  3. Nous avions ramassé tous les déchets dans le parc hier. (We had collected all the garbage in the park yesterday.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais ramassé J’avais ramassé les feuilles. I had picked up the leaves.
tu tu avais ramassé Tu avais ramassé les pommes. You had picked up the apples.
il il avait ramassé Il avait ramassé les branches. He had picked up the branches.
elle elle avait ramassé Elle avait ramassé les fleurs. She had picked up the flowers.
on on avait ramassé On avait ramassé les déchets. One had picked up the trash.
nous nous avions ramassé Nous avions ramassé les débris. We had picked up the debris.
vous vous aviez ramassé Vous aviez ramassé les pierres. You had picked up the stones.
ils ils avaient ramassé Ils avaient ramassé les bâtons. They had picked up the sticks.
elles elles avaient ramassé Elles avaient ramassé les noix. They had picked up the nuts.

Other Conjugations for Ramasser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ramasser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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