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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb rappeler

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The English translation of the French verb rappeler is “to remind” or “to call back.” The infinitive form “rappeler” is pronounced as “rah-pell-ay.”

The word rappeler comes from the Latin verb “reappellare,” which means “to call back again.” It entered the French language in the 13th century, and its meaning gradually evolved to include the concept of reminding someone of something.

In everyday French, rappeler is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action or time. In French, it is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Here are three examples of how rappeler is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense and their English translations:

  1. J’avais rappelé mon ami avant qu’il ne parte en voyage. (I had reminded my friend before he left on his trip.)

  2. Elle était partie au travail quand je me suis rappelé que j’avais oublié mon portefeuille. (She had left for work when I remembered that I had forgotten my wallet.)

  3. Nous étions arrivés à la gare quand le train a rappelé le départ. (We had arrived at the train station when the train reminded us of its departure.)

In these examples, rappeler is used to describe an action that was completed in the past before another action took place. It is also often used in conjunction with other verbs such as “se souvenir” (to remember) or “oublier” (to forget).

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais rappelé J’avais rappelé mon ami hier. I had called my friend yesterday.
tu tu avais rappelé Tu avais rappelé la réunion. You had reminded the meeting.
il il avait rappelé Il avait rappelé le numéro. He had dialed the number.
elle elle avait rappelé Elle avait rappelé son nom. She had recalled her name.
on on avait rappelé On avait rappelé l’histoire. One had remembered the story.
nous nous avions rappelé Nous avions rappelé l’événement. We had recalled the event.
vous vous aviez rappelé Vous aviez rappelé la date. You had reminded the date.
ils ils avaient rappelé Ils avaient rappelé le rendez-vous. They had reminded the appointment.
elles elles avaient rappelé Elles avaient rappelé l’adresse. They had reminded the address.

Other Conjugations for Rappeler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb rappeler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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