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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb recruter

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The English translation of the French verb recruter is “to recruit.” It is pronounced “re-kroo-tay.”

The word recruter comes from the Latin verb “recrūtare,” which means to replenish or restore. In French, it is most often used in the context of hiring or enlisting new members for a specific purpose, such as a job or military service.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense (past perfect tense), recruter is used to describe an action that had been completed before another past action. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with their English translations:

  1. J’avais recruté de nouveaux employés pour notre entreprise avant que la pandémie ne frappe.
    Translation: I had recruited new employees for our company before the pandemic hit.

  2. Elle avait recruté des étudiants pour son projet de recherche avant qu’elle ne parte en vacances.
    Translation: She had recruited students for her research project before she went on vacation.

  3. Ils avaient recruté des soldats pour leur armée avant que la guerre n’éclate.
    Translation: They had recruited soldiers for their army before the war broke out.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais recruté J’avais recruté un nouvel employé. I had recruited a new employee.
tu tu avais recruté Tu avais recruté de nouveaux membres. You had recruited new members.
il il avait recruté Il avait recruté un groupe de joueurs. He had recruited a group of players.
elle elle avait recruté Elle avait recruté des candidats qualifiés. She had recruited qualified candidates.
on on avait recruté On avait recruté un grand nombre d’employés. One had recruited a large number of employees.
nous nous avions recruté Nous avions recruté une équipe compétente. We had recruited a competent team.
vous vous aviez recruté Vous aviez recruté un consultant externe. You had recruited an external consultant.
ils ils avaient recruté Ils avaient recruté des joueurs de différents pays. They had recruited players from different countries.
elles elles avaient recruté Elles avaient recruté des femmes pour des postes de direction. They had recruited women for leadership positions.

Other Conjugations for Recruter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb recruter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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