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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb autodéterminer

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The English translation of autodéterminer is “to self-determine” or “to determine oneself.” It is pronounced as “oh-toh-day-tehr-mee-nay.”

The word autodéterminer is derived from the Latin prefix “auto,” meaning self, and the French verb “déterminer,” meaning to determine.

In everyday French, autodéterminer is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is typically used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past.

Example 1: J’avais autodéterminé mon avenir avant de déménager. (I had self-determined my future before moving.)

Example 2: Elle avait autodéterminé sa propre voie sans l’aide de personne. (She had self-determined her own path without anyone’s help.)

Example 3: Nous avions autodéterminé notre propre destinée malgré les obstacles. (We had self-determined our own destiny despite the obstacles.)

English translations:

  1. I had determined my future before moving.
  2. She had determined her own path without anyone’s help.
  3. We had determined our own destiny despite the obstacles.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je je m’étais autodéterminé(e) Je m’étais autodéterminé(e) dans ma carrière. I had self-determined myself in my career.
tu tu t’étais autodéterminé(e) Tu t’étais autodéterminé(e) dans ta vie. You had self-determined yourself in your life.
il il s’était autodéterminé Il s’était autodéterminé dans son choix. He had self-determined himself in his decision.
elle elle s’était autodéterminée Elle s’était autodéterminée dans sa carrière. She had self-determined herself in her career.
on on s’était autodéterminé On s’était autodéterminé dans nos études. One had self-determined ourselves in our studies.
nous nous nous étions autodéterminés Nous nous étions autodéterminés dans notre vie. We had self-determined ourselves in our life.
vous vous vous étiez autodéterminés Vous vous étiez autodéterminés dans vos choix. You had self-determined yourselves in your decisions.
ils ils s’étaient autodéterminés Ils s’étaient autodéterminés dans leur carrière. They had self-determined themselves in their career.
elles elles s’étaient autodéterminées Elles s’étaient autodéterminées dans leur vie. They had self-determined themselves in their life.

Other Conjugations for Autodéterminer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb autodéterminer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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