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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb fricasser

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The English translation of the French verb fricasser is “to fricassee.” It is pronounced as “free-kah-say.”

The origin of the word fricasser can be traced back to the Latin word “frigicare,” meaning to fry or roast. In everyday French, fricasser is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to indicate an action that was completed before another past action.

Example 1: J’avais fricassé le poulet avant que mes invités n’arrivent.
English translation: I had fricasseed the chicken before my guests arrived.

Example 2: Elle avait déjà fricassé les légumes quand son mari est rentré du travail.
English translation: She had already fricasseed the vegetables when her husband came home from work.

Example 3: Nous avions fricassé des pommes de terre pour accompagner le rôti.
English translation: We had fricasseed some potatoes to accompany the roast.

Overall, fricasser is most commonly used in cooking to describe a dish that has been fried or braised in oil. In the Plus-que-parfait tense, it is used to describe an action that was completed in the past before another past action.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais fricassé J’avais fricassé du poulet. I had fricasseed chicken.
tu tu avais fricassé Tu avais fricassé du boeuf. You had fricasseed beef.
il il avait fricassé Il avait fricassé des légumes. He had fricasseed vegetables.
elle elle avait fricassé Elle avait fricassé du poisson. She had fricasseed fish.
on on avait fricassé On avait fricassé des crevettes. One had fricasseed shrimp.
nous nous avions fricassé Nous avions fricassé des escargots. We had fricasseed snails.
vous vous aviez fricassé Vous aviez fricassé du lapin. You had fricasseed rabbit.
ils ils avaient fricassé Ils avaient fricassé du canard. They had fricasseed duck.
elles elles avaient fricassé Elles avaient fricassé du porc. They had fricasseed pork.

Other Conjugations for Fricasser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fricasser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Fricasser – 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.

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