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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb casser

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The English translation of the French verb casser is “to break.” The infinitive form is pronounced “kah-seh.”

The origin of the word casser can be traced back to the Latin word “quassare,” meaning “to shatter.” It is most often used in everyday French to talk about breaking or shattering something physically, as well as in a figurative sense to describe a situation or relationship that has been damaged or ruined.

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

  1. J’avais cassé mon téléphone avant de partir en voyage. (I had broken my phone before leaving on my trip.)

  2. Elle avait cassé son porte-monnaie en essayant de le forcer ouvrir. (She had broken her wallet while trying to force it open.)

  3. Nous avions cassé la vaisselle lors de notre dernière soirée. (We had broken the dishes during our last party.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais cassé J’avais cassé la tasse. I had broken the cup.
tu tu avais cassé Tu avais cassé l’assiette. You had broken the plate.
il il avait cassé Il avait cassé le vase. He had broken the vase.
elle elle avait cassé Elle avait cassé la fenêtre. She had broken the window.
on on avait cassé On avait cassé le miroir. One had broken the mirror.
nous nous avions cassé Nous avions cassé la bouteille. We had broken the bottle.
vous vous aviez cassé Vous aviez cassé le téléphone. You had broken the phone.
ils ils avaient cassé Ils avaient cassé la porte. They had broken the door.
elles elles avaient cassé Elles avaient cassé la télévision. They had broken the television.

Other Conjugations for Casser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb casser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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