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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb abdiquer

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The English translation of the French verb “abdiquer” is “to abdicate.” The infinitive form “abdiquer” is pronounced as “ahb-dee-keh”.

The word “abdiquer” originates from the Latin word “abdico” which means “to renounce” or “to resign.” In everyday French, “abdiquer” is commonly used to refer to the act of a monarch or ruler renouncing their throne or giving up their power voluntarily.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense (past perfect tense), “abdiquer” is used to describe an action that had been completed before another past action. Here are three examples of its usage:

  1. J’avais abdiqué avant la révolution. (I had abdicated before the revolution.)
  2. Il avait abdiqué ses responsabilités depuis longtemps. (He had abdicated his responsibilities a long time ago.)
  3. Elle avait abdiqué son rôle de leader après l’échec du projet. (She had abdicated her role as a leader after the project’s failure.)

These examples illustrate situations where the act of abdicating occurred prior to another event in the past, emphasizing the completion of the action before a specific point in time.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais abdiqué J’avais abdiqué mon titre. I had abdicated my title.
tu tu avais abdiqué Tu avais abdiqué tes responsabilités. You had abdicated your responsibilities.
il il avait abdiqué Il avait abdiqué le trône. He had abdicated the throne.
elle elle avait abdiqué Elle avait abdiqué ses droits. She had abdicated her rights.
on on avait abdiqué On avait abdiqué le pouvoir. One had abdicated power.
nous nous avions abdiqué Nous avions abdiqué notre position. We had abdicated our position.
vous vous aviez abdiqué Vous aviez abdiqué votre autorité. You had abdicated your authority.
ils ils avaient abdiqué Ils avaient abdiqué le trône. They had abdicated the throne.
elles elles avaient abdiqué Elles avaient abdiqué leurs responsabilités. They had abdicated their responsibilities.

Other Conjugations for Abdiquer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb abdiquer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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