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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb regretter

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The English translation of the French verb regretter is “to regret.” It is pronounced “ruh-gret-ay.”

The word “regretter” comes from the Latin word “regretari” which means “to weep over” or “to lament.” In everyday French, regretter is often used to express feelings of sorrow or disappointment about something that has happened in the past.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, regretter is used to talk about something that had been regretted in the past before another past action took place. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of regretter.

Here are three simple examples of regretter in the Plus-que-parfait tense, with their English translations:

  1. J’avais regretté d’avoir pris cette décision. (I had regretted making that decision.)
  2. Elle avait regretté de ne pas être venue à la fête. (She had regretted not coming to the party.)
  3. Nous avions regretté d’avoir manqué l’opportunité. (We had regretted missing the opportunity.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais regretté J’avais regretté mon choix. I had regretted my choice.
tu tu avais regretté Tu avais regretté ta décision. You had regretted your decision.
il il avait regretté Il avait regretté sa réponse. He had regretted his answer.
elle elle avait regretté Elle avait regretté son action. She had regretted her action.
on on avait regretté On avait regretté notre départ. One had regretted our departure.
nous nous avions regretté Nous avions regretté notre choix. We had regretted our choice.
vous vous aviez regretté Vous aviez regretté votre décision. You had regretted your decision.
ils ils avaient regretté Ils avaient regretté leur choix. They had regretted their choice.
elles elles avaient regretté Elles avaient regretté leur décision. They had regretted their decision.

Other Conjugations for Regretter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb regretter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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