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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb ratatouiller

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The English translation of the French verb ratatouiller is “to mix or stir”. It is pronounced as “rah-tah-too-ee-yay”.

The word “ratatouiller” comes from the French word “ratatouille”, which refers to a traditional Provençal vegetable dish. The verb form is derived from this dish, as it involves mixing and stirring various ingredients together.

In everyday French, ratatouiller is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense indicates an action that was completed before another action in the past.

Three simple examples of its usage in the Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. J’avais ratatouillĂ© les lĂ©gumes avant que les invitĂ©s n’arrivent. (I had mixed the vegetables before the guests arrived.)

  2. Tu avais ratatouillé la pùte avant de la mettre au four. (You had stirred the dough before putting it in the oven.)

  3. Ils avaient ratatouillé la sauce pendant que je préparais la viande. (They had mixed the sauce while I was preparing the meat.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais ratatouillĂ© J’avais ratatouillĂ© les lĂ©gumes. I had made ratatouille with the vegetables.
tu tu avais ratatouillé Tu avais ratatouillé les ingrédients. You had made ratatouille with the ingredients.
il il avait ratatouillé Il avait ratatouillé le plat. He had made ratatouille with the dish.
elle elle avait ratatouillé Elle avait ratatouillé la recette. She had made ratatouille with the recipe.
on on avait ratatouillé On avait ratatouillé la casserole. One had made ratatouille with the pot.
nous nous avions ratatouillé Nous avions ratatouillé le plat. We had made ratatouille with the dish.
vous vous aviez ratatouillé Vous aviez ratatouillé le dßner. You had made ratatouille with the dinner.
ils ils avaient ratatouillé Ils avaient ratatouillé la recette. They had made ratatouille with the recipe.
elles elles avaient ratatouillé Elles avaient ratatouillé le plat. They had made ratatouille with the dish.

Other Conjugations for Ratatouiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ratatouiller
   

    PassĂ© Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ratatouiller
   

    PassĂ© ComposĂ© (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ratatouiller
   

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

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

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

    PassĂ© AntĂ©rieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ratatouiller

    Futur AntĂ©rieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ratatouiller

    Subjonctif PrĂ©sent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ratatouiller

    Subjonctif PassĂ© (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ratatouiller
   

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

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

    Conditionnel PrĂ©sent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ratatouiller
   

    Conditionnel PassĂ© (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ratatouiller

    L’impĂ©ratif PrĂ©sent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ratatouiller

    L’infinitif PrĂ©sent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ratatouiller

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Ratatouiller – 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 “ĂȘtre” (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 mangĂ© (I had eaten)
   – Tu avais parlĂ© (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 jouĂ© (They had played)
2. With “ĂȘtre” as the auxiliary verb (usually for intransitive verbs or verbs indicating a state):
   – J’Ă©tais parti(e) (I had left)
   – Tu Ă©tais arrivĂ©(e) (You had arrived)
   – Il/elle/on Ă©tait tombĂ©(e) (He/She/One had fallen)
   – Nous Ă©tions restĂ©(e)s (We had stayed)
   – Vous Ă©tiez nĂ©(e)(s) (You had been born)
   – Ils/elles Ă©taient montĂ©(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 mangĂ© avant qu’il ne soit arrivĂ©” (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 arrivĂ©, ils avaient dĂ©jĂ  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 passĂ© composĂ© (simple past) to establish the sequence of past events. The passĂ© composĂ© 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 diffĂ©remment” (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 ratatouiller. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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