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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb rançonner

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The English translation of the French verb rançonner is “to ransom” or “to extort”. It is pronounced as “rahn-soh-nay”.

The language origin of rançonner can be traced back to the Old French word “ranson” which means “ransom” or “payment”. It comes from the Latin word “redemptionem” which also means “ransom”. In modern French, rançonner is most often used in the context of extortion or demanding payment from someone in exchange for their release or protection.

In everyday French, rançonner is commonly used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. J’avais été rançonné par les bandits avant que la police n’arrive. (I had been extorted by the bandits before the police arrived.)
  2. Il avait été rançonné par son propre frère pour accéder à l’héritage familial. (He had been extorted by his own brother to access the family inheritance.)
  3. Les habitants du village avaient été rançonnés par le seigneur local pendant des années avant de se révolter. (The villagers had been extorted by the local lord for years before rebelling.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais rançonné J’avais rançonné la ville. I had ransacked the city.
tu tu avais rançonné Tu avais rançonné le magasin. You had ransacked the store.
il il avait rançonné Il avait rançonné le village. He had ransacked the village.
elle elle avait rançonné Elle avait rançonné la banque. She had ransacked the bank.
on on avait rançonné On avait rançonné la maison. One had ransacked the house.
nous nous avions rançonné Nous avions rançonné le quartier. We had ransacked the neighborhood.
vous vous aviez rançonné Vous aviez rançonné l’entreprise. You had ransacked the company.
ils ils avaient rançonné Ils avaient rançonné la gare. They had ransacked the train station.
elles elles avaient rançonné Elles avaient rançonné le magasin. They had ransacked the store.

Other Conjugations for Rançonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb rançonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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