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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb crosser

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The English translation of the French verb crosser is “to cross.” It is pronounced as “kro-seh” in its infinitive form.

The word “crosser” is derived from the Old French word “croisier,” which comes from the Latin word “cruciare,” meaning “to torment.” In modern French, “crosser” is primarily used in its literal meaning of crossing a road or obstacle, but it can also be used in a figurative sense to mean overcoming an obstacle or challenge.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, “crosser” is conjugated as “avais crossé” for the first and second person singular, “avais crossé” for the third person singular, and “avions crossé” for the first person plural.

Example 1: J’avais crossé la rue avant que le feu ne change. (I had crossed the street before the light changed.)
Example 2: Tu avais crossé la rivière en utilisant le pont suspendu. (You had crossed the river using the suspension bridge.)
Example 3: Ils avaient crossé la montagne malgré les conditions météorologiques difficiles. (They had crossed the mountain despite the difficult weather conditions.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais crossé J’avais crossé la rue. I had crossed the street.
tu tu avais crossé Tu avais crossé le parcours. You had crossed the course.
il il avait crossé Il avait crossé le pont. He had crossed the bridge.
elle elle avait crossé Elle avait crossé la rivière. She had crossed the river.
on on avait crossé On avait crossé la frontière. One had crossed the border.
nous nous avions crossé Nous avions crossé le lac. We had crossed the lake.
vous vous aviez crossé Vous aviez crossé le fleuve. You had crossed the river.
ils ils avaient crossé Ils avaient crossé la montagne. They had crossed the mountain.
elles elles avaient crossé Elles avaient crossé la route. They had crossed the road.

Other Conjugations for Crosser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb crosser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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