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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb ganser

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The English translation of the French verb ganser is “to lace” or “to tie”, as in tying shoelaces. The infinitive form is pronounced “gahn-seh”.

The origin of the word ganser can be traced back to the Old High German word “gans”, meaning “goose”. In Middle French, “ganser” referred to the practice of tying up the feet of a goose before roasting it. Over time, it evolved to also mean tying or lacing in general.

In everyday French, “ganser” is most often used in the plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past tense used to describe an action that occurred before another action in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. J’avais gansé mes chaussures avant de partir. (I had tied my shoes before leaving.)
  2. Elle avait gansé ses cheveux pour la soirée. (She had styled her hair for the evening.)
  3. Nous avions gansé les cadeaux avant que les invités arrivent. (We had wrapped the gifts before the guests arrived.)

In each of these examples, the action of tying or lacing occurred before another action in the past, indicated by the use of the auxiliary verb “avoir” (had) in the plus-que-parfait tense. In English, this tense is translated as “had + past participle”.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais gansé J’avais gansé le ruban. I had trimmed the ribbon.
tu tu avais gansé Tu avais gansé le col. You had trimmed the collar.
il il avait gansé Il avait gansé les manches. He had trimmed the sleeves.
elle elle avait gansé Elle avait gansé la robe. She had trimmed the dress.
on on avait gansé On avait gansé la chemise. One had trimmed the shirt.
nous nous avions gansé Nous avions gansé le chapeau. We had trimmed the hat.
vous vous aviez gansé Vous aviez gansé le tissu. You had trimmed the fabric.
ils ils avaient gansé Ils avaient gansé les ourlets. They had trimmed the hems.
elles elles avaient gansé Elles avaient gansé les poches. They had trimmed the pockets.

Other Conjugations for Ganser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ganser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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