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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb rapatrier

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The English translation of the French verb rapatrier is “to repatriate.” In its infinitive form, it is pronounced “rah-pah-tree-ay.”

The word rapatrier comes from the Latin word “repatrare,” meaning “to return to one’s country.” It entered the French language in the 17th century and has been used in its current form since the 19th century.

In everyday French, rapatrier is most often used in the past tense, specifically the Plus-que-parfait tense. This tense is used to express an action that took place before another past action. It is formed with the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Imparfait tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb.

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

  1. J’avais rapatrié mes affaires avant de partir en vacances. (I had repatriated my belongings before going on vacation.)

  2. Ils étaient déjà rapatriés en France lorsque la guerre a éclaté. (They had already been repatriated to France when the war broke out.)

  3. Nous avions rapatrié notre argent dans notre pays d’origine. (We had repatriated our money to our country of origin.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais rapatrié J’avais rapatrié mon frère du Brésil. I had repatriated my brother from Brazil.
tu tu avais rapatrié Tu avais rapatrié tes affaires. You had repatriated your belongings.
il il avait rapatrié Il avait rapatrié les soldats blessés. He had repatriated the injured soldiers.
elle elle avait rapatrié Elle avait rapatrié sa famille de l’étranger. She had repatriated her family from abroad.
on on avait rapatrié On avait rapatrié les réfugiés. One had repatriated the refugees.
nous nous avions rapatrié Nous avions rapatrié nos biens. We had repatriated our belongings.
vous vous aviez rapatrié Vous aviez rapatrié votre entreprise. You had repatriated your company.
ils ils avaient rapatrié Ils avaient rapatrié les prisonniers de guerre. They had repatriated the prisoners of war.
elles elles avaient rapatrié Elles avaient rapatrié les ressortissants français. They had repatriated French nationals.

Other Conjugations for Rapatrier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb rapatrier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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