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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb assommer

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The English translation of the French verb assommer is “to knock out” or “to stun.” It is pronounced as “ah-soh-may.”

The language origin of assommer can be traced back to the Old French word “asomier,” meaning “to stun” or “to make senseless.” It is derived from the Latin word “ad,” meaning “to” and “somnus,” meaning “sleep.” In everyday French, assommer is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past tense used to describe an action that occurred before another past action.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. J’avais assommé mon adversaire avant qu’il puisse se défendre. (I had knocked out my opponent before he could defend himself.)

  2. Nous avions été complètement assommés par la nouvelle de sa mort. (We had been completely stunned by the news of his death.)

  3. Elle m’avait assommé avec ses questions incessantes. (She had knocked me out with her incessant questions.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais assommé J’avais assommé le moustique. I had knocked out the mosquito.
tu tu avais assommé Tu avais assommé le voleur. You had knocked out the thief.
il il avait assommé Il avait assommé le taureau. He had knocked out the bull.
elle elle avait assommé Elle avait assommé le marteau. She had knocked out the hammer.
on on avait assommé On avait assommé le cheval. One had knocked out the horse.
nous nous avions assommé Nous avions assommé le tigre. We had knocked out the tiger.
vous vous aviez assommé Vous aviez assommé le lion. You had knocked out the lion.
ils ils avaient assommé Ils avaient assommé le boxeur. They had knocked out the boxer.
elles elles avaient assommé Elles avaient assommé le lutteur. They had knocked out the wrestler.

Other Conjugations for Assommer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb assommer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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