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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb exhausser

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The English translation of the French verb exhausser is “to raise” or “to elevate.” The infinitive form, exhausser, is pronounced “eks-oh-seh.”

Exhausser comes from the Old French verb “hausser,” which means “to raise.” It can be traced back to the Latin word “altiare,” meaning “to elevate.”

In everyday French, exhausser is most often used to describe physically raising or lifting something, such as a flag or a person. However, it can also be used in a figurative sense to mean improving or enhancing something.

Examples of exhausser in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is used to describe an action that was completed in the past before another past action, include:

  1. J’avais déjà exhaussé le drapeau avant que les invités arrivent. (I had already raised the flag before the guests arrived.)

  2. Il avait exhaussé sa voix pour qu’on puisse l’entendre dans la foule. (He had raised his voice so that he could be heard in the crowd.)

  3. Elle avait exhaussé sa robe avec des talons hauts pour la soirée. (She had elevated her dress with high heels for the evening.)

In English, the verb “to raise” can also be used in these examples to convey the same meaning in the Plus-que-parfait tense.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais exhaussé J’avais exhaussé le mur. I had raised the wall.
tu tu avais exhausse Tu avais exhaussé le plafond. You had raised the ceiling.
il il avait exhaussé Il avait exhaussé la chaise. He had raised the chair.
elle elle avait exhaussé Elle avait exhaussé le tableau. She had raised the painting.
on on avait exhaussé On avait exhaussé l’escalier. One had raised the stairs.
nous nous avions exhaussé Nous avions exhaussé le toit. We had raised the roof.
vous vous aviez exhaussé Vous aviez exhaussé la table. You had raised the table.
ils ils avaient exhaussé Ils avaient exhaussé le niveau. They had raised the level.
elles elles avaient exhaussé Elles avaient exhaussé la valeur. They had raised the value.

Other Conjugations for Exhausser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb exhausser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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