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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb rapprocher

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The English translation of the French verb rapprocher is “to bring closer” or “to come closer.” The infinitive form is pronounced “ra-pro-shay.”

Rapprocher comes from the Old French word “rapprochier,” which is a combination of “re-” meaning “back” and “approchier” meaning “to approach.” It is most often used in everyday French as a reflexive verb meaning “to get closer” or “to reconcile.”

Here are three examples of rapprocher being used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Nous nous étions rapprochés après notre dispute. (We had reconciled after our argument.)

  2. Elle s’était rapprochée de sa famille après avoir vécu à l’étranger pendant des années. (She had gotten closer to her family after living abroad for years.)

  3. Ils s’étaient rapprochés du bord de la falaise pour avoir une meilleure vue. (They had moved closer to the edge of the cliff to get a better view.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais rapproché J’avais rapproché les deux tables. I had brought the two tables closer together.
tu tu avais rapproché Tu avais rapproché les chaises. You had brought the chairs closer together.
il il avait rapproché Il avait rapproché les deux amis. He had brought the two friends closer together.
elle elle avait rapproché Elle avait rapproché les deux plantes. She had brought the two plants closer together.
on on avait rapproché On avait rapproché les deux villes. One had brought the two cities closer together.
nous nous avions rapproché Nous avions rapproché les deux groupes. We had brought the two groups closer together.
vous vous aviez rapproché Vous aviez rapproché les deux maisons. You had brought the two houses closer together.
ils ils avaient rapproché Ils avaient rapproché les deux pays. They had brought the two countries closer together.
elles elles avaient rapproché Elles avaient rapproché les deux voisines. They had brought the two neighbors closer together.

Other Conjugations for Rapprocher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb rapprocher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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