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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb autopsier

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The English translation of the French verb autopsier is “to perform an autopsy.” The infinitive form is pronounced as oh-tohp-see-ay.

The word autopsier comes from the Greek root “auto-” meaning “self” and “opsis” meaning “view.” It entered the French language in the 16th century and is derived from the Latin word “autopsia.”

In everyday French, autopsier is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to refer to a past action that occurred before another past action. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the imparfait tense followed by the past participle of autopsier.

Three examples of using autopsier in the Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. Les médecins avaient déjà autopsié le corps avant que la famille n’arrive à la morgue. (The doctors had already performed an autopsy on the body before the family arrived at the morgue.)

  2. Il avait autopsié plusieurs victimes pour comprendre les causes de leur mort. (He had performed autopsies on several victims to understand the causes of their death.)

  3. Le médecin n’avait pas autopsié le corps correctement, ce qui a compromis les résultats de l’enquête. (The doctor had not performed the autopsy correctly, which compromised the results of the investigation.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais autopsié J’avais autopsié le corps. I had autopsied the body.
tu tu avais autopsié Tu avais autopsié le rat. You had autopsied the rat.
il il avait autopsié Il avait autopsié l’animal. He had autopsied the animal.
elle elle avait autopsié Elle avait autopsié le chat. She had autopsied the cat.
on on avait autopsié On avait autopsié le cadavre. One had autopsied the corpse.
nous nous avions autopsié Nous avions autopsié le chien. We had autopsied the dog.
vous vous aviez autopsié Vous aviez autopsié le cheval. You had autopsied the horse.
ils ils avaient autopsié Ils avaient autopsié l’oiseau. They had autopsied the bird.
elles elles avaient autopsié Elles avaient autopsié la souris. They had autopsied the mouse.

Other Conjugations for Autopsier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb autopsier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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