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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb caractériser

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The English translation of the French verb caractériser is “to characterize.” The infinitive form of the verb is pronounced as “karak-teh-ree-zay.”

The word caractériser has its roots in the Latin word “caracterizare,” meaning “to distinguish.” It became part of the French language in the 15th century and is derived from the word “caractère,” meaning “character.”

In everyday French, caractériser is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to talk about actions that were completed before another past action.

Here are three examples of caractériser in the Plus-que-parfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais caractérisé le personnage principal comme courageux et déterminé. (I had characterized the main character as brave and determined.)

  2. Les critiques avaient caractérisé le film comme un chef-d’œuvre du cinéma français. (The critics had characterized the film as a masterpiece of French cinema.)

  3. Elle avait toujours caractérisé son frère comme étant le plus gentil de la famille. (She had always characterized her brother as being the nicest in the family.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais caractérisé J’avais caractérisé le personnage. I had characterized the character.
tu tu avais caractérisé Tu avais caractérisé le problème. You had characterized the problem.
il il avait caractérisé Il avait caractérisé la situation. He had characterized the situation.
elle elle avait caractérisé Elle avait caractérisé la pièce. She had characterized the room.
on on avait caractérisé On avait caractérisé le sujet. One had characterized the subject.
nous nous avions caractérisé Nous avions caractérisé le projet. We had characterized the project.
vous vous aviez caractérisé Vous aviez caractérisé la ville. You had characterized the city.
ils ils avaient caractérisé Ils avaient caractérisé le groupe. They had characterized the group.
elles elles avaient caractérisé Elles avaient caractérisé la chanson. They had characterized the song.

Other Conjugations for Caractériser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caractériser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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