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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décriminaliser

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The English translation of décriminaliser is “to decriminalize.” It is pronounced as “day-kree-mee-na-lee-zay” in its infinitive form.

The word décriminaliser comes from the French prefix de- (meaning “un-” or “not”) and the word criminel, meaning “criminal.” It is used in French to refer to the act of making something that was once considered a criminal offense or action, no longer punishable by law.

In everyday French, décriminaliser is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action or point in time.

Here are three examples of how décriminaliser is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais décriminalisé la consommation de cannabis avant que la loi ne soit changée. (I had decriminalized the consumption of cannabis before the law was changed.)

  2. Ils avaient décriminalisé la vente de cigarettes aux mineurs dans certains pays européens. (They had decriminalized the sale of cigarettes to minors in some European countries.)

  3. Elle avait décriminalisé le vol de nourriture pour les personnes affamées dans les cas d’urgence. (She had decriminalized stealing food for hungry people in emergency situations.)

In each of these examples, décriminaliser is used in the past perfect tense to indicate an action that had been completed before another past action or time. The English translations also use the past perfect tense to convey the same meaning.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais décriminalisé J’avais décriminalisé la loi. I had decriminalized the law.
tu tu avais décriminalisé Tu avais décriminalisé l’affaire. You had decriminalized the case.
il il avait décriminalisé Il avait décriminalisé l’acte. He had decriminalized the act.
elle elle avait décriminalisé Elle avait décriminalisé la pratique. She had decriminalized the practice.
on on avait décriminalisé On avait décriminalisé le délit. One had decriminalized the offense.
nous nous avions décriminalisé Nous avions décriminalisé le crime. We had decriminalized the crime.
vous vous aviez décriminalisé Vous aviez décriminalisé la situation. You had decriminalized the situation.
ils ils avaient décriminalisé Ils avaient décriminalisé le procès. They had decriminalized the trial.
elles elles avaient décriminalisé Elles avaient décriminalisé l’affaire. They had decriminalized the case.

Other Conjugations for Décriminaliser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décriminaliser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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