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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb adopter

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The English translation of the French verb adopter is “to adopt.” It is pronounced “ah-dop-teh” in its infinitive form.

The verb adopter is derived from the Latin word “adoptare,” meaning “choose” or “take for oneself.” It entered the French language in the 14th century and has been commonly used since then.

In everyday French, adopter is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past tense used to express an action that occurred before another past action. It is formed using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of adopter (adopté).

Here are three examples of adopter being used in the Plus-que-parfait tense in everyday French:

  1. J’avais adopté un chat avant d’avoir un chien. (I had adopted a cat before getting a dog.)
  2. Ils étaient déjà adoptés par une famille aimante. (They had already been adopted by a loving family.)
  3. Elle avait adopté un régime végétarien avant de devenir vegan. (She had adopted a vegetarian diet before becoming vegan.)

In these examples, the verb adopter is used to describe a completed action that happened before another past action. It is often used to talk about decisions or choices that were made in the past. The English translations for these sentences also use the past perfect tense to convey the same meaning.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais adopté J’avais adopté un chien. I had adopted a dog.
tu tu avais adopté Tu avais adopté un chat. You had adopted a cat.
il il avait adopté Il avait adopté un enfant. He had adopted a child.
elle elle avait adopté Elle avait adopté un bébé. She had adopted a baby.
on on avait adopté On avait adopté un chiot. One had adopted a puppy.
nous nous avions adopté Nous avions adopté une fille. We had adopted a daughter.
vous vous aviez adopté Vous aviez adopté un garçon. You had adopted a son.
ils ils avaient adopté Ils avaient adopté un chaton. They had adopted a kitten.
elles elles avaient adopté Elles avaient adopté un chat. They had adopted a cat.

Other Conjugations for Adopter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adopter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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