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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb consommer

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The English translation of the French verb consommer is “to consume” or “to use up.” It is pronounced as “kawn-soh-may” in the infinitive form.

The word “consommer” comes from the Latin word “consummare,” which means “to finish” or “to complete.” It entered the French language in the 13th century and has been used in various contexts since then.

In everyday French, “consommer” is most commonly used to refer to the act of consuming food or drinks, but it can also be used in a broader sense to mean using up or depleting something.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English, the verb “consommer” is conjugated as “avais consommé” for the first and second person singular, and “avions consommé” for the first person plural. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with their English translations:

  1. J’avais consommé tout mon repas avant de partir. (I had consumed all my meal before leaving.)
  2. Tu avais consommé toutes tes économies en un mois. (You had used up all your savings in one month.)
  3. Ils avaient consommé toutes les ressources de la planète. (They had depleted all the resources of the planet.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais consommé J’avais consommé mon repas. I had consumed my meal.
tu tu avais consommé Tu avais consommé tout le pain. You had consumed all the bread.
il il avait consommé Il avait consommé la nourriture. He had consumed the food.
elle elle avait consommé Elle avait consommé le dessert. She had consumed the dessert.
on on avait consommé On avait consommé le plat principal. One had consumed the main course.
nous nous avions consommé Nous avions consommé tout le vin. We had consumed all the wine.
vous vous aviez consommé Vous aviez consommé le fromage. You had consumed the cheese.
ils ils avaient consommé Ils avaient consommé la bière. They had consumed the beer.
elles elles avaient consommé Elles avaient consommé le café. They had consumed the coffee.

Other Conjugations for Consommer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb consommer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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