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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb controverser

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The English translation of the French verb controverser is to debate or to dispute. It is pronounced as “kon-tro-ver-se”.

The verb controverser is derived from the Latin word controversus, meaning “turned against” or “opposed”. It entered the French language in the 15th century and has been used primarily in a legal context to refer to a disagreement or disagreement between parties.

In everyday French, controverser 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 or event that took place before another past action or event.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Plus-que-parfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais controversé avec mon frère avant de partir en vacances. (I had debated with my brother before leaving for vacation.)
  2. Les deux parties avaient controversé pendant des heures avant de parvenir à un accord. (The two parties had disputed for hours before reaching an agreement.)
  3. Nous avions controversé à propos de la décision de l’entreprise avant de démissionner. (We had debated about the company’s decision before resigning.)

In all of these examples, the verb controverser is used to express a past action that had already happened before another past action.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais controversé J’avais controversé le projet. I had disputed the project.
tu tu avais controversé Tu avais controversé l’idée. You had debated the idea.
il il avait controversé Il avait controversé la décision. He had contested the decision.
elle elle avait controversé Elle avait controversé le choix. She had disputed the choice.
on on avait controversé On avait controversé la proposition. One had argued about the proposition.
nous nous avions controversé Nous avions controversé la théorie. We had challenged the theory.
vous vous aviez controversé Vous aviez controversé le sujet. You had discussed the topic.
ils ils avaient controversé Ils avaient controversé le problème. They had debated the problem.
elles elles avaient controversé Elles avaient controversé l’article. They had disputed the article.

Other Conjugations for Controverser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb controverser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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