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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb relater

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The English translation of the French verb relater is “to relate.” The infinitive form is pronounced “re-la-te.”

Relater comes from the Latin word “relatum” which means “to carry back” or “to bear.” It entered the French language in the late 14th century and has been used in various forms throughout history.

In everyday French, relater is most commonly used in the plus-que-parfait tense, which corresponds to the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action.

Three examples of relater in the plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. J’avais déjà relaté mon histoire avant que tu n’arrives. (I had already related my story before you arrived.)

  2. Il avait relaté les événements avec beaucoup de détails. (He had related the events with a lot of details.)

  3. Nous avions tous vu le film, donc nous avons pu le relater à nos amis. (We had all seen the movie, so we were able to relate it to our friends.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais relaté J’avais relaté l’histoire. I had related the story.
tu tu avais relaté Tu avais relaté les événements. You had related the events.
il il avait relaté Il avait relaté ses voyages. He had related his travels.
elle elle avait relaté Elle avait relaté son expérience. She had related her experience.
on on avait relaté On avait relaté les faits. One had related the facts.
nous nous avions relaté Nous avions relaté nos aventures. We had related our adventures.
vous vous aviez relaté Vous aviez relaté vos souvenirs. You had related your memories.
ils ils avaient relaté Ils avaient relaté leurs découvertes. They had related their discoveries.
elles elles avaient relaté Elles avaient relaté leurs anecdotes. They had related their anecdotes.

Other Conjugations for Relater.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb relater
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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