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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb courtiser

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The English translation of the French verb courtiser is “to court” or “to woo.” The infinitive form, courtiser, is pronounced as “koor-tee-zay.”

Courtiser comes from the Old French term “court” which means “court” or “royal court.” It was originally used in the 14th century to describe the act of pursuing a woman in a romantic manner, often in the context of the royal court. Today, it is still used in a romantic sense, but can also refer to any type of pursuit or pursuit of favor.

In everyday French conversation, courtiser is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to describe an action that had been completed before another past action.

Example 1: J’avais courtisé ma femme pendant des mois avant qu’elle accepte de sortir avec moi. (I had courted my wife for months before she agreed to go out with me.)

Example 2: Tu avais courtisé cette entreprise depuis longtemps avant de décrocher ce contrat. (You had been courting this company for a long time before landing this contract.)

Example 3: Il avait courtisé l’amitié de son voisin jusqu’à ce qu’il réalise qu’il ne pouvait pas lui faire confiance. (He had courted his neighbor’s friendship until he realized he couldn’t trust him.)

In each of these examples, the verb courtiser is used to describe a past action that had been completed before another past action. In English, the past perfect tense is formed with “had + past participle” whereas in French, it is formed with “avoir/être + past participle.”

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais courtisé J’avais courtisé ma petite amie. I had courted my girlfriend.
tu tu avais courtisé Tu avais courtisé tes prétendantes. You had courted your suitresses.
il il avait courtisé Il avait courtisé la princesse. He had courted the princess.
elle elle avait courtisé Elle avait courtisé le prince. She had courted the prince.
on on avait courtisé On avait courtisé sa bien-aimée. One had courted their beloved.
nous nous avions courtisé Nous avions courtisé nos voisins. We had courted our neighbors.
vous vous aviez courtisé Vous aviez courtisé vos amours. You had courted your loves.
ils ils avaient courtisé Ils avaient courtisé leurs objets d’amour. They had courted their love interests.
elles elles avaient courtisé Elles avaient courtisé leurs amants. They had courted their lovers.

Other Conjugations for Courtiser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb courtiser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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