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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb relaver

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of relaver. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb relaver is “to rewash.” It is pronounced “ruh-lah-vay.”

Relaver comes from the combination of the prefix “re-” (meaning “again”) and the verb laver (meaning “to wash”). It is a regular -er verb in French and is used to indicate the action of washing something again.

In everyday French, relaver is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that had already been completed before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of relaver being used in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais relavé la vaisselle avant que mes invités n’arrivent. (I had rewashed the dishes before my guests arrived.)
  2. Nous avions relavé le linge que nous avions oublié dans le sèche-linge. (We had rewashed the laundry that we had forgotten in the dryer.)
  3. Vous aviez relavé la voiture avant de la rendre à la location. (You had rewashed the car before returning it to the rental company.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais relavé J’avais relavé la vaisselle. I had washed the dishes.
tu tu avais relavé Tu avais relavé ton linge. You had washed your laundry.
il il avait relavé Il avait relavé la voiture. He had washed the car.
elle elle avait relavé Elle avait relavé les vêtements. She had washed the clothes.
on on avait relavé On avait relavé les tapis. One had washed the carpets.
nous nous avions relavé Nous avions relavé les sols. We had washed the floors.
vous vous aviez relavé Vous aviez relavé le linge. You had washed the laundry.
ils ils avaient relavé Ils avaient relavé les vitres. They had washed the windows.
elles elles avaient relavé Elles avaient relavé la voiture. They had washed the car.

Other Conjugations for Relaver.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb relaver
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the relaver Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts