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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déposséder

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The English translation of the French verb déposséder is “to dispossess” or “to deprive of possession.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “deh-poss-eh-dray.”

Déposséder is derived from the Latin word “possidere,” which means “to possess.” In French, it is a transitive verb, meaning it requires a direct object. It is most commonly used to describe the act of taking something away from someone, often against their will.

In everyday French, déposséder 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 took place before another action in the past. For example: “I had dispossessed” or “I had deprived of possession.”

Here are 3 simple examples of déposséder in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais dépossédé ma sœur de son jouet préféré quand j’étais enfant. (I had taken away my sister’s favorite toy when I was a child.)

  2. Le dictateur avait dépossédé le peuple de ses droits et libertés. (The dictator had deprived the people of their rights and freedoms.)

  3. Les colons avaient dépossédé les autochtones de leurs terres. (The colonizers had dispossessed the indigenous people of their lands.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais dépossédé J’avais dépossédé mon frère. I had dispossessed my brother.
tu tu avais dépossédé Tu avais dépossédé ta sœur. You had dispossessed your sister.
il il avait dépossédé Il avait dépossédé son voisin. He had dispossessed his neighbor.
elle elle avait dépossédé Elle avait dépossédé son ami. She had dispossessed her friend.
on on avait dépossédé On avait dépossédé le maire. One had dispossessed the mayor.
nous nous avions dépossédé Nous avions dépossédé nos ennemis. We had dispossessed our enemies.
vous vous aviez dépossédé Vous aviez dépossédé vos voisins. You had dispossessed your neighbors.
ils ils avaient dépossédé Ils avaient dépossédé leurs ennemis. They had dispossessed their enemies.
elles elles avaient dépossédé Elles avaient dépossédé leurs amis. They had dispossessed their friends.

Other Conjugations for Déposséder.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déposséder
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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