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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb consumer

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The English translation of the French verb consumer is “to consume.” It is pronounced “koh(n)-soo-meh.”

The word “consumer” comes from the Latin word “consumere,” which means “to use up” or “to spend.” In French, it is most often used in every day language to refer to the act of using or consuming something, such as food or resources.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English, consumer is used to talk about an action that was completed before another action in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. J’avais déjà consommé tout le gâteau avant que mes invités arrivent. (I had already consumed all the cake before my guests arrived.)

  2. Nous avions consommé beaucoup d’eau avant de nous rendre compte qu’il y avait une fuite dans le robinet. (We had consumed a lot of water before realizing there was a leak in the faucet.)

  3. Elles avaient consommé tous leurs crédits téléphoniques avant la fin du mois. (They had consumed all their phone credits before the end of the month.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais consommé J’avais consommé trop de sucre. I had consumed too much sugar.
tu tu avais consommé Tu avais consommé tout le gâteau. You had consumed all of the cake.
il il avait consommé Il avait consommé la nourriture. He had consumed the food.
elle elle avait consommé Elle avait consommé trop d’alcool. She had consumed too much alcohol.
on on avait consommé On avait consommé toute l’eau. One had consumed all of the water.
nous nous avions consommé Nous avions consommé le repas. We had consumed the meal.
vous vous aviez consommé Vous aviez consommé le plat principal. You had consumed the main dish.
ils ils avaient consommé Ils avaient consommé la viande. They had consumed the meat.
elles elles avaient consommé Elles avaient consommé le dessert. They had consumed the dessert.

Other Conjugations for Consumer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb consumer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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