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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb lisser

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The English translation of the French verb lisser is “to smooth.” It is pronounced as “lee-seh” in its infinitive form.

The word lisser comes from the Old French word “lissier,” which means “to polish or smooth.” It is derived from the Latin word “lissus,” which means “smooth.”

In everyday French, lisser is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to indicate an action that was completed before another action in the past. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Imparfait tense followed by the past participle of lisser.

Here are three simple examples of lisser in the Plus-que-parfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Nous avions lissé le sol avant de poser le tapis. (We had smoothed the floor before laying the carpet.)

  2. Elle était venue chez moi après avoir lissé ses cheveux. (She had come to my house after smoothing her hair.)

  3. J’avais lissé le papier avec un fer à repasser. (I had smoothed the paper with an iron.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais lissé J’avais lissé mes cheveux. I had straightened my hair.
tu tu avais lissé Tu avais lissé tes vêtements. You had smoothed out your clothes.
il il avait lissé Il avait lissé le tissu. He had ironed the fabric.
elle elle avait lissé Elle avait lissé ses cheveux. She had straightened her hair.
on on avait lissé On avait lissé les draps. One had smoothed out the sheets.
nous nous avions lissé Nous avions lissé le sol. We had polished the floor.
vous vous aviez lissé Vous aviez lissé le tapis. You had smoothed out the carpet.
ils ils avaient lissé Ils avaient lissé les rideaux. They had steamed the curtains.
elles elles avaient lissé Elles avaient lissé leur robe. They had smoothed out their dress.

Other Conjugations for Lisser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb lisser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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