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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb assumer

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The English translation of the French verb assumer is “to assume” or “to take on.” It is pronounced as “ah-soo-may.”

The word “assumer” comes from the Latin verb “assumere,” meaning “to take upon oneself.” In everyday French, it is used in various contexts to express the idea of taking responsibility, accepting a role or position, or making an assumption.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, assumer is used to talk about actions that were completed in the past before another past action. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais assumé mes responsabilités avant que tu ne me demandes de l’aide. (I had taken on my responsibilities before you asked me for help.)
  2. Elle avait assumé le rôle de leader du groupe lors de leur dernier projet. (She had assumed the role of group leader during their last project.)
  3. Nous avions assumé que le concert commençait à 20h, mais en réalité il a commencé à 21h. (We had assumed that the concert started at 8pm, but it actually started at 9pm.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais assumé J’avais assumé la responsabilité. I had assumed responsibility.
tu tu avais assumé Tu avais assumé la décision. You had assumed the decision.
il il avait assumé Il avait assumé le rôle principal. He had assumed the lead role.
elle elle avait assumé Elle avait assumé la tâche. She had assumed the task.
on on avait assumé On avait assumé la responsabilité. One had assumed responsibility.
nous nous avions assumé Nous avions assumé le risque. We had assumed the risk.
vous vous aviez assumé Vous aviez assumé la direction. You had assumed leadership.
ils ils avaient assumé Ils avaient assumé l’erreur. They had assumed the mistake.
elles elles avaient assumé Elles avaient assumé l’initiative. They had assumed the initiative.

Other Conjugations for Assumer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb assumer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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