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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb redresser

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The English translation of the French verb redresser is “to straighten” or “to correct.” It is pronounced as “re-dre-ser” in the infinitive form.

Redresser comes from the Old French word “redreçier,” which is derived from the Latin word “directiare,” meaning “to guide straight.” In everyday French, redresser is often used in its literal sense of physically straightening or correcting something, but it can also be used figuratively to mean “to fix” or “to right a wrong.”

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, redresser is used to indicate an action that was completed before another past action. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense, along with their English translations:

  1. J’avais redressé la chaise avant que tu n’arrives. (I had straightened the chair before you arrived.)
  2. Elle avait redressé ses erreurs dans son rapport. (She had corrected her mistakes in her report.)
  3. Nous avions redressé la situation avant qu’il ne soit trop tard. (We had fixed the situation before it was too late.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais redressé J’avais redressé la chaise. I had straightened the chair.
tu tu avais redressé Tu avais redressé le tableau. You had straightened the painting.
il il avait redressé Il avait redressé la plante. He had straightened the plant.
elle elle avait redressé Elle avait redressé la jambe. She had straightened her leg.
on on avait redressé On avait redressé le dos. One had straightened their back.
nous nous avions redressé Nous avions redressé le mur. We had straightened the wall.
vous vous aviez redressé Vous aviez redressé la table. You had straightened the table.
ils ils avaient redressé Ils avaient redressé le poteau. They had straightened the post.
elles elles avaient redressé Elles avaient redressé la branche. They had straightened the branch.

Other Conjugations for Redresser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb redresser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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