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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb comporter

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The English translation of the French verb comporter is “to behave” or “to carry oneself”. It is pronounced as “kom-por-tey”.

The word “comporter” comes from the Old French word “comporter” meaning “to carry” or “to behave”. It is derived from the Latin word “comportare” meaning “to bring together” or “to behave”.

In everyday French, the verb comporter is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to talk about an action that had already been completed in the past before another action took place.

Some examples of the usage of comporter in the Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. J’avais toujours été un enfant timide, mais à l’âge de 10 ans, je me comportais différemment en présence de mes amis. (I had always been a shy child, but at the age of 10, I behaved differently in front of my friends.)
  2. Quand elle a vu le résultat de son examen, elle s’est comportée comme si elle avait gagné à la loterie. (When she saw the result of her exam, she behaved as if she had won the lottery.)
  3. Nous étions très nerveux avant la présentation, mais une fois sur scène, nous nous sommes comportés avec assurance. (We were very nervous before the presentation, but once on stage, we behaved confidently.)

In these examples, “avais toujours été” and “avait vu” are the Plus-que-parfait forms of the verb comporter, indicating that the actions had already been completed before the other actions took place. The use of this tense adds depth and context to the actions being described.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais comporté J’avais comporté un comportement exemplaire. I had behaved exemplary.
tu tu avais comporté Tu avais comporté une attitude désagréable. You had behaved unpleasantly.
il il avait comporté Il avait comporté un geste généreux. He had shown a generous gesture.
elle elle avait comporté Elle avait comporté une action courageuse. She had performed a brave action.
on on avait comporté On avait comporté un comportement inacceptable. One had displayed an unacceptable behavior.
nous nous avions comporté Nous avions comporté une bonne attitude. We had shown a good attitude.
vous vous aviez comporté Vous aviez comporté une réponse logique. You had given a logical answer.
ils ils avaient comporté Ils avaient comporté une conclusion hâtive. They had made a hasty conclusion.
elles elles avaient comporté Elles avaient comporté une réaction excessive. They had shown an excessive reaction.

Other Conjugations for Comporter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb comporter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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