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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb glisser

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The English translation of the French verb glisser is “to slip” or “to slide.” The infinitive form of glisser is pronounced “glee-seh.”

Glisser comes from the Latin verb “gliscere,” meaning “to slip,” and entered the French language in the 12th century. It is most often used in everyday French to describe the action of something or someone slipping or sliding on a surface.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, glisser is used to express an action that had happened before another action in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais glissé sur la glace avant de me casser la jambe. (I had slipped on the ice before breaking my leg.)
  2. Ils avaient glissé sur leur chaise avant que le professeur n’entre dans la salle de classe. (They had slid on their chairs before the teacher entered the classroom.)
  3. Tu avais glissé un mot à ton patron avant qu’il ne prenne sa décision. (You had slipped a word to your boss before he made his decision.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais glissé J’avais glissé sur la glace. I had slipped on the ice.
tu tu avais glissé Tu avais glissé sur la colline. You had slid down the hill.
il il avait glissé Il avait glissé sur le tapis. He had slipped on the rug.
elle elle avait glissé Elle avait glissé sur le sol. She had slid on the floor.
on on avait glissé On avait glissé sur la neige. One had slid on the snow.
nous nous avions glissé Nous avions glissé sur l’eau. We had slipped on the water.
vous vous aviez glissé Vous aviez glissé sur la boue. You had slid on the mud.
ils ils avaient glissé Ils avaient glissé sur la pente. They had slipped on the slope.
elles elles avaient glissé Elles avaient glissé sur la route. They had slid on the road.

Other Conjugations for Glisser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb glisser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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