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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb complexer

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The English translation of the French verb complexer is “to feel self-conscious” or “to be self-conscious”. It is pronounced as /kɔ̃.plɛk.se/.

The word complexer originates from the French noun “complexe”, meaning “complex”, which comes from the Latin word “complexus” meaning “entwined” or “surrounding”. In everyday French, complexer is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense.

  1. J’avais complexé de mes cheveux depuis l’enfance. (I had always been self-conscious about my hair since childhood.)

  2. Elle avait complexé sur son apparence avant la fête. (She had been self-conscious about her appearance before the party.)

  3. Nous avions complexé de notre manque de compétences en français avant de partir en vacances en France. (We had been self-conscious about our lack of French skills before going on vacation in France.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je m’étais complexé Je m’étais complexé à l’idée de lui parler. I had felt self-conscious about talking to him/her.
tu t’étais complexé(e) Tu t’étais complexé(e) à cause de ton apparence. You had felt self-conscious because of your appearance.
il s’était complexé Il s’était complexé à l’idée de se présenter. He had felt self-conscious about introducing himself.
elle s’était complexée Elle s’était complexée en public. She had felt self-conscious in public.
on s’était complexé On s’était complexé en présence de sa famille. One had felt self-conscious in front of one’s family.
nous nous étions complexés Nous étions complexés par notre manque de confiance. We had felt self-conscious because of our lack of confidence.
vous vous étiez complexé(e)(s) Vous étiez complexé(e)(s) par votre accent. You had felt self-conscious because of your accent.
ils s’étaient complexés Ils s’étaient complexés en parlant en public. They had felt self-conscious while speaking in public.
elles s’étaient complexées Elles s’étaient complexées à cause de leurs différences. They had felt self-conscious because of their differences.

Other Conjugations for Complexer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb complexer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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