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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb croiser

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The English translation of the French verb croiser is “to cross” or “to intersect.” The infinitive form of croiser is pronounced as [kʁwaze].

Croiser comes from the Latin word “crux,” meaning “cross,” and the suffix “-iser,” which is often added to verbs in French to indicate the action of making something. It is most commonly used to describe the action of crossing or intersecting two or more things, whether physical objects or concepts.

In everyday French, croiser is often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which corresponds to the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that occurred before another action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of croiser in the Plus-que-parfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. J’avais croisé Marie dans la rue avant de partir en vacances. (I had crossed paths with Marie in the street before leaving on vacation.)
  2. Tu avais croisé les doigts en espérant que le résultat soit positif. (You had crossed your fingers, hoping for a positive outcome.)
  3. Ils avaient croisé leurs opinions avant de prendre une décision finale. (They had crossed their opinions before making a final decision.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais croisé J’avais croisé mon voisin. I had crossed paths with my neighbor.
tu tu avais croisé Tu avais croisé ton ex-petit ami. You had crossed paths with your ex-boyfriend.
il il avait croisé Il avait croisé son collègue. He had crossed paths with his colleague.
elle elle avait croisé Elle avait croisé sa voisine. She had crossed paths with her neighbor.
on on avait croisé On avait croisé un vieil ami. One had crossed paths with an old friend.
nous nous avions croisé Nous avions croisé nos amis. We had crossed paths with our friends.
vous vous aviez croisé Vous aviez croisé votre patron. You had crossed paths with your boss.
ils ils avaient croisé Ils avaient croisé leurs voisins. They had crossed paths with their neighbors.
elles elles avaient croisé Elles avaient croisé leurs collègues. They had crossed paths with their colleagues.

Other Conjugations for Croiser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb croiser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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