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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb recercler

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The English translation of the French verb recercler is “to circle again” or “to encircle.”

The infinitive form of recercler is pronounced “reh-sehr-kleh.”

Recercler is derived from the Old French word “cercle,” meaning “circle.” It is most often used in everyday French 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 recercler in the Plus-que-parfait tense with their English translations:

  1. J’avais recerclé les lettres importantes avant de les envoyer. (I had circled the important letters before sending them.)
  2. Tu avais recerclé les mots difficiles dans le livre. (You had circled the difficult words in the book.)
  3. Ils avaient recerclé la maison pour indiquer leur terrain. (They had encircled the house to mark their property.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais recerclé J’avais recerclé le mot. I had circled the word.
tu tu avais recerclé Tu avais recerclé la phrase. You had circled the sentence.
il il avait recerclé Il avait recerclé le dessin. He had circled the drawing.
elle elle avait recerclé Elle avait recerclé le nom. She had circled the name.
on on avait recerclé On avait recerclé le titre. One had circled the title.
nous nous avions recerclé Nous avions recerclé le paragraphe. We had circled the paragraph.
vous vous aviez recerclé Vous aviez recerclé le tableau. You had circled the table.
ils ils avaient recerclé Ils avaient recerclé le graphique. They had circled the graph.
elles elles avaient recerclé Elles avaient recerclé le schéma. They had circled the diagram.

Other Conjugations for Recercler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb recercler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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