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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb asséner

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of asséner. 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 asséner is “to deliver” or “to strike.” It is pronounced as “ah-say-nay.”

Asséner comes from the Latin word “ad” meaning “to” and “signum” meaning “sign or mark.” In everyday French, it is most often used in its past tense form, the plus-que-parfait, to indicate an action that was completed before another past action.

Examples of asséner in the plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais asséné un coup de poing à mon frère avant qu’il ne se mette à pleurer. (I had delivered a punch to my brother before he started crying.)

  2. Les manifestants avaient asséné des coups aux policiers avant d’être arrêtés. (The protesters had struck the police officers before being arrested.)

  3. Elle avait asséné un discours passionné avant que la foule ne se disperse. (She had delivered a passionate speech before the crowd dispersed.)

English translations:

  1. I had hit my brother before he started crying.
  2. The protesters had struck the police officers before being arrested.
  3. She had given a passionate speech before the crowd dispersed.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais asséné J’avais asséné un coup. I had dealt a blow.
tu tu avais asséné Tu avais asséné une réponse. You had delivered an answer.
il il avait asséné Il avait asséné une insulte. He had uttered an insult.
elle elle avait asséné Elle avait asséné un mensonge. She had told a lie.
on on avait asséné On avait asséné un coup. One had dealt a blow.
nous nous avions asséné Nous avions asséné un discours. We had delivered a speech.
vous vous aviez asséné Vous aviez asséné un avertissement. You had given a warning.
ils ils avaient asséné Ils avaient asséné une critique. They had made a criticism.
elles elles avaient asséné Elles avaient asséné un coup. They had dealt a blow.

Other Conjugations for Asséner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb asséner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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 asséner Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply