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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb recorder

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The English translation of the French verb recorder is “to record.” It is pronounced as “reh-kor-deh.”

The word “recorder” comes from the Old French word “recorder” which means “to remember” or “to report.” In modern French, it is primarily used in the sense of recording audio or video.

In everyday French, the verb recorder is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to describe an action that had been completed before another action in the past. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” followed by the past participle of the verb.

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

  1. J’avais enregistré la réunion avant de partir. (I had recorded the meeting before leaving.)
  2. Elle était rentrée chez elle quand elle a réalisé qu’elle avait oublié de recorder son émission préférée. (She had gone back home when she realized she had forgotten to record her favorite show.)
  3. Nous avions déjà visité Paris deux fois avant d’enregistrer notre première vidéo touristique. (We had already visited Paris twice before recording our first tourist video.)

English translations:

  1. I had recorded the meeting before leaving.
  2. She had gone back home when she realized she had forgotten to record her favorite show.
  3. We had already visited Paris twice before recording our first tourist video.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais enregistré J’avais enregistré la chanson. I had recorded the song.
tu tu avais enregistré Tu avais enregistré le concert. You had recorded the concert.
il il avait enregistré Il avait enregistré le film. He had recorded the film.
elle elle avait enregistré Elle avait enregistré la réunion. She had recorded the meeting.
on on avait enregistré On avait enregistré l’interview. One had recorded the interview.
nous nous avions enregistré Nous avions enregistré le match. We had recorded the game.
vous vous aviez enregistré Vous aviez enregistré l’émission. You had recorded the show.
ils ils avaient enregistré Ils avaient enregistré le spectacle. They had recorded the performance.
elles elles avaient enregistré Elles avaient enregistré la conférence. They had recorded the conference.

Other Conjugations for Recorder.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb recorder
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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