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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb interposer

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The English translation of the French verb interposer is “to interpose.” It is pronounced as “ahn-ter-poh-zay” in its infinitive form.

The word interposer comes from the Latin word “interponere,” meaning “to put between.” In everyday French, it is most often used in its past tense form, Plus-que-parfait, which is used to refer to an action that happened before another past action.

Examples:

  1. J’avais interposé mon avis avant qu’il ne prenne sa décision. (I had interposed my opinion before he made his decision.)
  2. Elle avait interposé ses mains entre les deux chiens qui se battaient. (She had interposed her hands between the two fighting dogs.)
  3. Nous avions interposé nos corps pour protéger les enfants des tirs. (We had interposed our bodies to protect the children from the shots.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais interposé J’avais interposé mon opinion. I had interposed my opinion.
tu tu avais interposé Tu avais interposé une remarque. You had interposed a remark.
il il avait interposé Il avait interposé une question. He had interposed a question.
elle elle avait interposé Elle avait interposé une objection. She had interposed an objection.
on on avait interposé On avait interposé un argument. One had interposed an argument.
nous nous avions interposé Nous avions interposé un avis. We had interposed an opinion.
vous vous aviez interposé Vous aviez interposé votre point de vue. You had interposed your viewpoint.
ils ils avaient interposé Ils avaient interposé leur avis. They had interposed their opinion.
elles elles avaient interposé Elles avaient interposé leur objection. They had interposed their objection.

Other Conjugations for Interposer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb interposer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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