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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb insister

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of insister. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb insister is “to insist.” The infinitive form of insister is pronounced “uhn-see-stay.”

The language origin of insister can be traced back to the Latin word “insistere,” meaning “to stand upon” or “to persist.” It entered the French language in the 16th century and has since been used to convey the idea of persistently advocating or demanding something.

In everyday French, insister is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past tense of the past perfect. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past. In other words, it expresses a past event that had already happened before another past event. Insister in the Plus-que-parfait tense is often used to express an insistence that occurred before a past event.

3 examples of insister in the Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. J’avais insisté pour qu’il vienne avec moi au concert, mais il avait déjà prévu autre chose. (I had insisted that he come with me to the concert, but he had already made other plans.)

  2. Elle avait insisté pour que je lui prête mon livre, mais je l’avais déjà prêté à quelqu’un d’autre. (She had insisted that I lend her my book, but I had already loaned it to someone else.)

  3. Nous avions insisté pour que le repas soit servi avant 20 heures, mais le restaurant avait déjà fermé ses portes lorsque nous sommes arrivés. (We had insisted that the meal be served before 8pm, but the restaurant had already closed its doors when we arrived.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais insisté J’avais insisté pour partir tôt. I had insisted on leaving early.
tu tu avais insisté Tu avais insisté pour rester. You had insisted on staying.
il il avait insisté Il avait insisté sur l’importance. He had insisted on the importance.
elle elle avait insisté Elle avait insisté pour être écoutée. She had insisted on being heard.
on on avait insisté On avait insisté sur la réunion. One had insisted on the meeting.
nous nous avions insisté Nous avions insisté sur la vérité. We had insisted on the truth.
vous vous aviez insisté Vous aviez insisté sur la ponctualité. You had insisted on punctuality.
ils ils avaient insisté Ils avaient insisté sur le changement. They had insisted on change.
elles elles avaient insisté Elles avaient insisté sur l’heure. They had insisted on the time.

Other Conjugations for Insister.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb insister
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the insister Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts