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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb recoller

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The English translation of the French verb recoller is “to glue back/to stick back.” The infinitive form is pronounced “reh-ko-lay.”

Recoller is derived from the French prefix “re-” meaning “again” and the verb “coller” meaning “to glue/stick.” It is most commonly used in everyday French when talking about fixing or reattaching something that has become detached or broken.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense (past perfect tense), recoller is used to talk about an action that was completed before another past action. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb avoir or être in the imparfait tense followed by the past participle of recoller (recollé).

Example 1: J’avais recollé les morceaux de la vaisselle avant que mes parents ne rentrent. (I had glued back the pieces of the dishes before my parents came back.)

Example 2: Il était déjà parti quand j’ai recollé la photo. (He had already left when I glued back the photo.)

Example 3: Nous avions recollé les pages déchirées du livre avant de le rendre à la bibliothèque. (We had glued back the torn pages of the book before returning it to the library.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais recollé J’avais recollé les morceaux. I had glued the pieces together.
tu tu avais recollé Tu avais recollé le papier. You had glued the paper.
il il avait recollé Il avait recollé les figurines. He had glued the figurines.
elle elle avait recollé Elle avait recollé le vase. She had glued the vase.
on on avait recollé On avait recollé le jouet. One had glued the toy.
nous nous avions recollé Nous avions recollé les livres. We had glued the books.
vous vous aviez recollé Vous aviez recollé les photos. You had glued the photos.
ils ils avaient recollé Ils avaient recollé les pièces. They had glued the pieces.
elles elles avaient recollé Elles avaient recollé les morceaux. They had glued the pieces.

Other Conjugations for Recoller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb recoller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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