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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb conserver

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The English translation of the French verb conserver is “to preserve” or “to conserve.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “kon-ser-vay.”

The word conserver comes from the Latin verb “conservare,” which means “to keep, maintain, preserve.” It entered the French language in the 12th century and has been used in everyday language since then.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, conserver is used to describe an action that had been completed before another past action. It is often used in conjunction with the auxiliary verb “avoir.” Here are three examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. J’avais conservé cette robe depuis des années avant de la donner à ma petite sœur. (I had preserved this dress for years before giving it to my little sister.)
  2. Ils avaient conservé leur amour malgré les difficultés. (They had preserved their love despite the difficulties.)
  3. Elle avait conservé toutes les lettres qu’il lui avait écrites. (She had preserved all the letters he had written to her.)

Overall, conserver is a commonly used verb in French, especially in everyday conversation. It is used to talk about preserving or keeping something in a particular state or condition.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais conservé J’avais conservé mes souvenirs. I had kept my memories.
tu tu avais conservé Tu avais conservé tes affaires. You had kept your belongings.
il il avait conservé Il avait conservé son livre. He had kept his book.
elle elle avait conservé Elle avait conservé ses bijoux. She had kept her jewelry.
on on avait conservé On avait conservé nos traditions. One had kept our traditions.
nous nous avions conservé Nous avions conservé notre maison. We had kept our house.
vous vous aviez conservé Vous aviez conservé vos documents. You had kept your documents.
ils ils avaient conservé Ils avaient conservé leur argent. They had kept their money.
elles elles avaient conservé Elles avaient conservé leurs souvenirs. They had kept their memories.

Other Conjugations for Conserver.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb conserver
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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