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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb causer

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The English translation of the French verb causer is “to cause” or “to talk”. It is pronounced “koh-zay”.

The word causer comes from the Latin verb “causari”, meaning “to plead” or “to discuss”. It entered the French language in the 13th century and has since evolved to have the meanings of both “to cause” and “to talk”. In everyday French, causer is most commonly used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to describe an action that had already been completed in the past before another action took place.

Example 1: J’avais causé avec mes amis avant de partir en vacances. (I had talked with my friends before leaving on vacation.)

Example 2: Il avait causé beaucoup de problèmes avant d’être renvoyé. (He had caused a lot of problems before being fired.)

Example 3: Nous avions causé du tort à nos voisins en faisant la fête toute la nuit. (We had caused harm to our neighbors by partying all night.)

In these examples, causer is used to talk about an action that had already been completed in the past before another action took place. It is often used to indicate a cause or reason for something that happened. In the Plus-que-parfait tense, it is conjugated with the auxiliary verb “avoir” and the past participle “causé”.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais causé J’avais causé beaucoup de problèmes. I had caused a lot of problems.
tu tu avais causé Tu avais causé des soucis à tes parents. You had caused worries for your parents.
il il avait causé Il avait causé une panique générale. He had caused a general panic.
elle elle avait causé Elle avait causé beaucoup de dégâts. She had caused a lot of damage.
on on avait causé On avait causé un accident. One had caused an accident.
nous nous avions causé Nous avions causé une confusion totale. We had caused a total confusion.
vous vous aviez causé Vous aviez causé une réaction en chaîne. You had caused a chain reaction.
ils ils avaient causé Ils avaient causé un scandale. They had caused a scandal.
elles elles avaient causé Elles avaient causé une dispute. They had caused a quarrel.

Other Conjugations for Causer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb causer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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