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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb rattacher

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The English translation of the French verb rattacher is “to reattach” or “to connect”.

The infinitive form of rattacher is pronounced “rah-ta-shay”.

Rattacher comes from the combination of the prefix “re-” meaning “again” and the verb “attacher” meaning “to attach”. It is most often used in everyday French to indicate the action of reattaching or reconnecting something that was previously attached or connected. In the Plus-que-parfait tense, which corresponds to the past perfect tense in English, rattacher is used to describe an action that had already been completed before another past action.

Example 1: J’avais déjà rattaché les fils avant que le courant ne revienne.
English translation: I had already reattached the wires before the power came back on.

Example 2: Elle avait oublié de rattacher sa ceinture de sécurité avant de démarrer la voiture.
English translation: She had forgotten to fasten her seatbelt before starting the car.

Example 3: Nous avions dû rattacher le chien car il avait réussi à s’échapper du jardin.
English translation: We had to reattach the dog because he had managed to escape from the garden.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais rattaché J’avais rattaché le fil électrique. I had reattached the electrical wire.
tu tu avais rattaché Tu avais rattaché les fils. You had reattached the wires.
il il avait rattaché Il avait rattaché la boucle. He had reattached the loop.
elle elle avait rattaché Elle avait rattaché le collier. She had reattached the necklace.
on on avait rattaché On avait rattaché le tuyau. One had reattached the hose.
nous nous avions rattaché Nous avions rattaché les morceaux. We had reattached the pieces.
vous vous aviez rattaché Vous aviez rattaché les branches. You had reattached the branches.
ils ils avaient rattaché Ils avaient rattaché les fils électriques. They had reattached the electrical wires.
elles elles avaient rattaché Elles avaient rattaché les cordes. They had reattached the ropes.

Other Conjugations for Rattacher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb rattacher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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