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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb refuser

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The English translation of the French verb refuser is “to refuse.” The infinitive form is pronounced “ruh-fuh-zay.”

The word refuser comes from the Latin word “refusare,” meaning “to deny.” It is most often used in everyday French to express the act of rejecting or declining something.

Examples of refuser in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais refusé l’invitation à la fête parce que j’étais malade. (I had refused the invitation to the party because I was sick.)
  2. Elle avait refusé de m’aider avec mes devoirs hier soir. (She had refused to help me with my homework last night.)
  3. Ils avaient refusé de payer le loyer à temps, ce qui a causé des problèmes avec leur propriétaire. (They had refused to pay the rent on time, which caused problems with their landlord.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais refusé J’avais refusé d’aller à la fête. I had refused to go to the party.
tu tu avais refusé Tu avais refusé de m’aider. You had refused to help me.
il il avait refusé Il avait refusé de signer le contrat. He had refused to sign the contract.
elle elle avait refusé Elle avait refusé de partir tôt. She had refused to leave early.
on on avait refusé On avait refusé de répondre à ses questions. One had refused to answer his questions.
nous nous avions refusé Nous avions refusé de prendre le risque. We had refused to take the risk.
vous vous aviez refusé Vous aviez refusé de discuter du sujet. You had refused to discuss the topic.
ils ils avaient refusé Ils avaient refusé de faire le travail. They had refused to do the work.
elles elles avaient refusé Elles avaient refusé de suivre mes instructions. They had refused to follow my instructions.

Other Conjugations for Refuser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb refuser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Refuser – 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.

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