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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb rambiner

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The English translation of the French verb rambiner is “to wander” or “to roam”. The infinitive form is pronounced “ram-bee-nay”.

The French verb rambiner comes from the Old French word “rambin” which means “to wander, roam, or stroll”. It is derived from the Latin word “ramus” meaning “branch” or “twig”.

In everyday French, rambiner is often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to talk about actions that were completed before another past action.

Here are three examples of how rambiner is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais rambriné dans les rues de Paris avant de rentrer chez moi. (I had wandered through the streets of Paris before going back home.)

  2. Elle avait rambriné dans les bois toute la matinée avant de trouver le lac. (She had roamed in the woods all morning before finding the lake.)

  3. Nous avions rambriné dans le parc pendant des heures avant de nous rendre compte qu’il était déjà tard. (We had wandered in the park for hours before realizing it was already late.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais rambiné J’avais rambiné dans la forêt. I had wandered in the forest.
tu tu avais rambiné Tu avais rambiné dans la ville. You had wandered in the city.
il il avait rambiné Il avait rambiné dans le parc. He had wandered in the park.
elle elle avait rambiné Elle avait rambiné dans la montagne. She had wandered in the mountain.
on on avait rambiné On avait rambiné dans le désert. One had wandered in the desert.
nous nous avions rambiné Nous avions rambiné dans la campagne. We had wandered in the countryside.
vous vous aviez rambiné Vous aviez rambiné dans la vallée. You had wandered in the valley.
ils ils avaient rambiné Ils avaient rambiné dans la plaine. They had wandered in the plains.
elles elles avaient rambiné Elles avaient rambiné dans la forêt. They had wandered in the forest.

Other Conjugations for Rambiner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb rambiner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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