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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb infliger

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The English translation of the French verb infliger is “to inflict.” The infinitive form of the verb is pronounced as “an-plee-zhay.”

The word “infliger” comes from the Latin verb “infligere,” meaning “to strike or dash against.” In French, it is most often used in everyday language to describe the action of imposing or causing harm, suffering, or punishment on someone.

Examples of using “infliger” in the Plus-que-parfait tense (past perfect tense):

  1. J’avais infligé une lourde amende à mon frère pour avoir cassé ma voiture. (I had inflicted a heavy fine on my brother for breaking my car.)

  2. Elle s’était infligé des restrictions alimentaires sévères pour perdre du poids. (She had imposed strict dietary restrictions on herself to lose weight.)

  3. Les soldats avaient infligé une lourde défaite à l’ennemi lors de la bataille. (The soldiers had inflicted a heavy defeat on the enemy during the battle.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais infligé J’avais infligé une punition. I had inflicted a punishment.
tu tu avais infligé Tu avais infligé une amende. You had imposed a fine.
il il avait infligé Il avait infligé une sanction. He had imposed a sanction.
elle elle avait infligé Elle avait infligé une peine. She had imposed a sentence.
on on avait infligé On avait infligé une punition. One had inflicted a punishment.
nous nous avions infligé Nous avions infligé une amende. We had imposed a fine.
vous vous aviez infligé Vous aviez infligé une peine. You had imposed a sentence.
ils ils avaient infligé Ils avaient infligé une sanction. They had imposed a sanction.
elles elles avaient infligé Elles avaient infligé une punition. They had inflicted a punishment.

Other Conjugations for Infliger.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb infliger
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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