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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb conseiller

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The English translation of the French verb conseiller is “to advise” or “to counsel.” The infinitive form of the verb, conseiller, is pronounced as “kon-se-yay.”

The word conseiller comes from the Latin word “consiliarius,” which means “counselor” or “advisor.” It entered the French language in the 12th century and has been used in everyday French to refer to the act of giving advice or guidance.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, conseiller is used to describe something that had been advised or counseled in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. J’avais conseillé à mon ami de ne pas prendre ce travail. (I had advised my friend not to take this job.)
  2. Elle avait conseillé à son frère de ne pas sortir tard le soir. (She had counseled her brother not to go out late at night.)
  3. Ils avaient conseillé à leurs enfants de se méfier des étrangers. (They had advised their children to be wary of strangers.)

Overall, conseiller is commonly used in everyday French to refer to the act of giving advice or guidance in different contexts. It can be used in various tenses to describe past, present, or future actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais conseillé J’avais conseillé mon ami. I had advised my friend.
tu tu avais conseillé Tu avais conseillé ta soeur. You had advised your sister.
il il avait conseillé Il avait conseillé le client. He had advised the client.
elle elle avait conseillé Elle avait conseillé sa mère. She had advised her mother.
on on avait conseillé On avait conseillé le voisin. One had advised the neighbor.
nous nous avions conseillé Nous avions conseillé nos parents. We had advised our parents.
vous vous aviez conseillé Vous aviez conseillé vos collègues. You had advised your colleagues.
ils ils avaient conseillé Ils avaient conseillé leurs enfants. They had advised their children.
elles elles avaient conseillé Elles avaient conseillé leurs amis. They had advised their friends.

Other Conjugations for Conseiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb conseiller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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