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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb raser

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The English translation of the French verb raser is “to shave.” The infinitive form of raser is pronounced as “rah-zeh.”

The word raser comes from the Latin word “rasus,” which means “shaven.” It was then adopted into French with the meaning of “to shave.”

In everyday French, raser is most often 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 simple examples of raser in the Plus-que-parfait tense with their English translations:

  1. J’avais rasé ma barbe avant de sortir. (I had shaved my beard before going out.)
  2. Elle s’était rasée les jambes avant d’aller à la plage. (She had shaved her legs before going to the beach.)
  3. Nous avions tous les deux rasé notre tête pour soutenir une association caritative. (We had both shaved our heads to support a charity.)

In these examples, raser is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action. It is often used to talk about personal grooming habits or actions related to appearance.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais rasé J’avais rasé mes jambes. I had shaved my legs.
tu tu avais rasé Tu avais rasé ta barbe. You had shaved your beard.
il il avait rasé Il avait rasé sa tête. He had shaved his head.
elle elle avait rasé Elle avait rasé ses aisselles. She had shaved her armpits.
on on avait rasé On avait rasé le mouton. One had shaved the sheep.
nous nous avions rasé Nous avions rasé la pelouse. We had shaved the lawn.
vous vous aviez rasé Vous aviez rasé vos sourcils. You had shaved your eyebrows.
ils ils avaient rasé Ils avaient rasé leur barbe. They had shaved their beard.
elles elles avaient rasé Elles avaient rasé leur jambe. They had shaved their leg.

Other Conjugations for Raser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb raser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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