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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb circonstancier

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The English translation of the French verb circonstancier is “to detail” or “to provide details.” It is pronounced as seer-kon-ston-see-ay.

The word circonstancier comes from the Latin word “circumstantia,” meaning “circumstance.” In everyday French, it is most often used to describe the action of explaining or describing a situation or event in detail. In the Plus-que-parfait tense, it expresses an action that occurred before another past action.

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

  1. J’avais circonstancié tous les détails de l’accident avant de témoigner devant le tribunal. (I had detailed all the particulars of the accident before testifying in court.)

  2. Elle avait circonstancié les raisons de son départ de l’entreprise lors de son entretien d’embauche. (She had explained in detail the reasons for her departure from the company during her job interview.)

  3. Nous avions circonstancié la soirée de notre mariage pendant des heures avec nos amis. (We had elaborated on the details of our wedding evening for hours with our friends.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais circonstancié J’avais circonstancié les faits. I had documented the facts.
tu tu avais circonstancié Tu avais circonstancié l’accident. You had documented the accident.
il il avait circonstancié Il avait circonstancié le témoignage. He had documented the testimony.
elle elle avait circonstancié Elle avait circonstancié le rapport. She had documented the report.
on on avait circonstancié On avait circonstancié l’événement. One had documented the event.
nous nous avions circonstancié Nous avions circonstancié l’incident. We had documented the incident.
vous vous aviez circonstancié Vous aviez circonstancié le crime. You had documented the crime.
ils ils avaient circonstancié Ils avaient circonstancié le cas. They had documented the case.
elles elles avaient circonstancié Elles avaient circonstancié la situation. They had documented the situation.

Other Conjugations for Circonstancier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb circonstancier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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