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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb disperser

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The English translation of the French verb disperser is “to scatter.” It is pronounced “dee-spair-zay” in its infinitive form.

The origin of the word “disperser” can be traced back to the Latin word “dispersus,” which means “to scatter” or “to disperse.” In everyday French, disperser is most often used in the plus-que-parfait tense, which corresponds to the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to refer to an action that occurred before another action in the past.

Examples of the usage of disperser in the plus-que-parfait tense in everyday French include:

  1. J’avais dispersé les feuilles dans le jardin avant que la pluie ne tombe. (I had scattered the leaves in the garden before the rain fell.)

  2. Elle avait dispersé les confettis sur la piste de danse avant que les invités n’arrivent. (She had scattered the confetti on the dance floor before the guests arrived.)

  3. Nous avions dispersé les cendres de notre grand-père dans son lieu préféré avant de quitter la ville. (We had scattered our grandfather’s ashes in his favorite place before leaving the city.)

In all of these examples, the verb disperser is used to describe an action that had already taken place before another event in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais dispersé J’avais dispersé les feuilles. I had scattered the leaves.
tu tu avais dispersé Tu avais dispersé les graines. You had dispersed the seeds.
il il avait dispersé Il avait dispersé les paillettes. He had scattered the glitter.
elle elle avait dispersé Elle avait dispersé les confettis. She had scattered the confetti.
on on avait dispersé On avait dispersé les pétales. One had scattered the petals.
nous nous avions dispersé Nous avions dispersé les cartes. We had scattered the cards.
vous vous aviez dispersé Vous aviez dispersé les plumes. You had scattered the feathers.
ils ils avaient dispersé Ils avaient dispersé les cendres. They had scattered the ashes.
elles elles avaient dispersé Elles avaient dispersé les étoiles. They had scattered the stars.

Other Conjugations for Disperser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb disperser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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