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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb mentaliser

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The English translation of the French verb mentaliser is “to think about” or “to consider.” It is pronounced as “men-ta-lee-zay.”

The origin of the word mentaliser comes from the Latin word “mentalis” meaning “of the mind.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense.

Three simple examples of its usage in the Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. J’avais mentalisé le projet avant de le présenter à mon patron. (I had thought about the project before presenting it to my boss.)

  2. Ils avaient mentalisé leur voyage depuis des mois. (They had been considering their trip for months.)

  3. Elle avait mentalisé toutes les possibilités avant de prendre sa décision. (She had thought through all the possibilities before making her decision.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais mentalisé J’avais mentalisé mes pensées. I had visualized my thoughts.
tu tu avais mentalisé Tu avais mentalisé ta stratégie. You had visualized your strategy.
il il avait mentalisé Il avait mentalisé ses émotions. He had visualized his emotions.
elle elle avait mentalisé Elle avait mentalisé sa réaction. She had visualized her reaction.
on on avait mentalisé On avait mentalisé notre plan. One had visualized our plan.
nous nous avions mentalisé Nous avions mentalisé notre objectif. We had visualized our goal.
vous vous aviez mentalisé Vous aviez mentalisé votre décision. You had visualized your decision.
ils ils avaient mentalisé Ils avaient mentalisé leur projet. They had visualized their project.
elles elles avaient mentalisé Elles avaient mentalisé leur réponse. They had visualized their answer.

Other Conjugations for Mentaliser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb mentaliser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Mentaliser – 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.

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