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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb gloser

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The English translation of the French verb gloser is “to gloss over” or “to comment on”. It is pronounced as “glo-zay” in the infinitive form.

The word “gloser” comes from the Latin word “glossa” which means “tongue” or “language”. In everyday French, it is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that happened before another action in the past.

Here are 3 simple examples of how “gloser” is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais glosé sur sa tenue avant de réaliser qu’elle était malade. (I had commented on her outfit before realizing she was sick.)
  2. Tu avais glosé sur mon poids avant de connaître mon histoire. (You had glossed over my weight before knowing my story.)
  3. Ils avaient glosé sur l’élection avant que les résultats soient annoncés. (They had glossed over the election before the results were announced.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais glosé J’avais glosé sur le sujet. I had glossed over the topic.
tu tu avais glosé Tu avais glosé à voix basse. You had muttered.
il il avait glosé Il avait glosé sur le livre. He had commented on the book.
elle elle avait glosé Elle avait glosé sur l’article. She had glossed over the article.
on on avait glosé On avait glosé sur la nouvelle. One had talked about the news.
nous nous avions glosé Nous avions glosé sur le film. We had discussed the movie.
vous vous aviez glosé Vous aviez glosé sur la pièce. You had commented on the play.
ils ils avaient glosé Ils avaient glosé sur la chanson. They had talked about the song.
elles elles avaient glosé Elles avaient glosé sur le sujet. They had glossed over the topic.

Other Conjugations for Gloser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb gloser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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