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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb fossiliser

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The English translation of the French verb fossiliser is “to fossilize.” It is pronounced as /fɔ.si.li.ze/.

The word “fossiliser” comes from the Latin word “fossilis,” meaning “dug up,” and the suffix “-iser,” which is used to form verbs from nouns or adjectives in French. In everyday French, “fossiliser” is primarily used in the past tense, particularly in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses an action that took place before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of “fossiliser” in the Plus-que-parfait tense with their English translations:

  1. J’avais fossilisé cette empreinte de dinosaure avant qu’elle ne soit découverte par des archéologues.
    ( I had fossilized this dinosaur footprint before it was discovered by archaeologists.)

  2. Tu avais fossilisé ces plantes il y a des années, mais elles sont toujours aussi bien conservées.
    (You had fossilized these plants years ago, but they are still well preserved.)

  3. Ils avaient fossilisé ces coquillages lors de leur dernière expédition sur la côte.
    (They had fossilized these seashells during their last expedition on the coast.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais fossilisé J’avais fossilisé les empreintes. I had fossilized the footprints.
tu tu avais fossilisé Tu avais fossilisé les ossements. You had fossilized the bones.
il il avait fossilisé Il avait fossilisé les coquillages. He had fossilized the shells.
elle elle avait fossilisé Elle avait fossilisé les plantes. She had fossilized the plants.
on on avait fossilisé On avait fossilisé les fossiles. One had fossilized the fossils.
nous nous avions fossilisé Nous avions fossilisé les restes. We had fossilized the remains.
vous vous aviez fossilisé Vous aviez fossilisé les dents. You had fossilized the teeth.
ils ils avaient fossilisé Ils avaient fossilisé les roches. They had fossilized the rocks.
elles elles avaient fossilisé Elles avaient fossilisé les coquillages. They had fossilized the shells.

Other Conjugations for Fossiliser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fossiliser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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