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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb diviser

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of diviser. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb diviser is “to divide.” It is pronounced “dee-vee-zay” in its infinitive form.

The origin of the word diviser can be traced back to the Latin word “dividere,” meaning “to separate.” In everyday French, diviser is most often used to express the action of splitting or separating something into smaller parts or groups.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, diviser is used to talk about an action that had been completed before another action in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with their English translations:

  1. J’avais déjà divisé les ingrédients avant que tu arrives. (I had already divided the ingredients before you arrived.)
  2. Nous avions divisé le gâteau en parts égales avant de le servir. (We had divided the cake into equal pieces before serving it.)
  3. Ils avaient divisé leurs biens avant leur divorce. (They had divided their belongings before their divorce.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais divisé J’avais divisé le gâteau. I had divided the cake.
tu tu avais divisé Tu avais divisé les tâches. You had divided the tasks.
il il avait divisé Il avait divisé le terrain. He had divided the land.
elle elle avait divisé Elle avait divisé les biens. She had divided the belongings.
on on avait divisé On avait divisé les bénéfices. One had divided the profits.
nous nous avions divisé Nous avions divisé le salaire. We had divided the salary.
vous vous aviez divisé Vous aviez divisé les responsabilités. You had divided the responsibilities.
ils ils avaient divisé Ils avaient divisé les terres. They had divided the lands.
elles elles avaient divisé Elles avaient divisé le pouvoir. They had divided the power.

Other Conjugations for Diviser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb diviser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the diviser Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts