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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb obliger

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of obliger. 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 obliger is “to oblige” or “to force.” It is pronounced as “oh-blee-zhay” in the infinitive form.

The word “obliger” comes from the Latin verb “obligare” which means “to bind” or “to oblige.” It entered the French language in the 12th century and has been used in everyday French since then.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, obliger is used to express an action that was completed in the past before another action or event. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle “obligé.”

Here are three examples of its usage in this tense with their English translations:

  1. J’avais obligé mon ami à étudier avant l’examen. (I had forced my friend to study before the exam.)

  2. Tu avais obligé les enfants à ranger leur chambre avant de sortir. (You had obliged the children to tidy their room before going out.)

  3. Elle avait obligé son mari à lui acheter des fleurs pour leur anniversaire de mariage. (She had obliged her husband to buy her flowers for their wedding anniversary.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais obligé J’avais obligé mon frère à nettoyer la cuisine. I had forced my brother to clean the kitchen.
tu tu avais obligé Tu avais obligé ta sœur à faire ses devoirs. You had forced your sister to do her homework.
il il avait obligé Il avait obligé son colocataire à payer la facture. He had forced his roommate to pay the bill.
elle elle avait obligé Elle avait obligé son fils à ranger sa chambre. She had forced her son to tidy up his room.
on on avait obligé On avait obligé les employés à travailler le week-end. One had forced the employees to work on the weekend.
nous nous avions obligé Nous avions obligé nos enfants à manger leurs légumes. We had forced our children to eat their vegetables.
vous vous aviez obligé Vous aviez obligé vos étudiants à rendre leur devoir à temps. You had forced your students to turn in their assignment on time.
ils ils avaient obligé Ils avaient obligé leurs invités à enlever leurs chaussures. They had forced their guests to take off their shoes.
elles elles avaient obligé Elles avaient obligé leur ami à leur prêter de l’argent. They had forced their friend to lend them money.

Other Conjugations for Obliger.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb obliger
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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 obliger Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts