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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb licencier

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of licencier. 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 licencier is “to dismiss” or “to lay off.” The infinitive form is pronounced “lee-sahn-see-yay.”

The word licencier comes from the Latin word “licentia,” meaning “permission” or “leave.” It was originally used in reference to granting permission to someone, but over time, its meaning evolved to refer to dismissing or removing someone from a position.

In everyday French, licencier is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action.

Here are three examples of licencier being used in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais licencié mes employés avant que l’entreprise fasse faillite. (I had dismissed my employees before the company went bankrupt.)

  2. Nous avions licencié notre femme de ménage parce qu’elle ne faisait pas du bon travail. (We had fired our cleaning lady because she wasn’t doing a good job.)

  3. Vous aviez licencié votre avocat parce qu’il n’avait pas bien défendu votre cause. (You had dismissed your lawyer because he didn’t defend your case well.)

In all of these examples, the action of “licencier” occurred in the past, before another past action or event. The Plus-que-parfait tense is used to show this sequence of events.

In English, the Plus-que-parfait tense is often translated as “had + past participle.” For example, “j’avais licencié” can be translated as “I had dismissed.”

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais licencié J’avais licencié mon assistant. I had fired my assistant.
tu tu avais licencié Tu avais licencié ton collègue. You had fired your colleague.
il il avait licencié Il avait licencié son employé. He had fired his employee.
elle elle avait licencié Elle avait licencié son stagiaire. She had fired her intern.
on on avait licencié On avait licencié son intérimaire. One had fired his temp.
nous nous avions licencié Nous avions licencié notre équipe. We had fired our team.
vous vous aviez licencié Vous aviez licencié vos employés. You had fired your employees.
ils ils avaient licencié Ils avaient licencié leur personnel. They had fired their staff.
elles elles avaient licencié Elles avaient licencié leurs collaborateurs. They had fired their collaborators.

Other Conjugations for Licencier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb licencier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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 licencier Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts