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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb ratiociner

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The English translation of the French verb ratiociner is “to reason.” It is pronounced as “rah-tee-oh-see-nay.”

The origin of the word ratiociner can be traced back to the Latin word “ratiocinari,” meaning “to calculate or reason.” In everyday French, ratiociner is mostly used in the past tense form, plus-que-parfait, which is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action.

Example 1: J’avais ratiociné toute la nuit. (I had reasoned all night.)
Example 2: Tu avais ratiociné avant de prendre ta décision. (You had reasoned before making your decision.)
Example 3: Elle avait ratiociné pendant des heures avant de se rendre compte de son erreur. (She had reasoned for hours before realizing her mistake.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais ratiociné J’avais ratiociné toute la journée. I had reasoned all day.
tu tu avais ratiociné Tu avais ratiociné sur le sujet. You had reasoned about the subject.
il il avait ratiociné Il avait ratiociné avec ses amis. He had reasoned with his friends.
elle elle avait ratiociné Elle avait ratiociné sur la situation. She had reasoned about the situation.
on on avait ratiociné On avait ratiociné ensemble. One had reasoned together.
nous nous avions ratiociné Nous avions ratiociné longtemps. We had reasoned for a long time.
vous vous aviez ratiociné Vous aviez ratiociné pour trouver une solution. You had reasoned to find a solution.
ils ils avaient ratiociné Ils avaient ratiociné sur le problème. They had reasoned about the problem.
elles elles avaient ratiociné Elles avaient ratiociné sur le sujet. They had reasoned about the subject.

Other Conjugations for Ratiociner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ratiociner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Ratiociner – 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.

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