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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb obséder

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The English translation of the French verb obséder is “to obsess”. It is pronounced as /ɔpse/de/.

The word obséder comes from the Latin word “obsedere” meaning “to besiege”. In everyday French, it is most often used to describe a state of being obsessed or preoccupied with something. It can also be used to describe someone who is constantly bothering or harassing another person.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, obséder is used to talk about something that occurred in the past and was already completed before another past action. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. J’avais obsédé mon ex-petite amie pendant des mois avant qu’elle ne décide de me quitter. (I had been obsessing over my ex-girlfriend for months before she decided to leave me.)

  2. Tu avais été obsédé par cette idée pendant toute la durée du projet. (You had been obsessed with this idea throughout the project.)

  3. Ils avaient obsédé leur voisin avec leur musique forte jusqu’à ce qu’il se plaigne au propriétaire. (They had been obsessing their neighbor with their loud music until he complained to the landlord.)

  4. I had been obsessing over my ex-girlfriend for months before she decided to leave me.

  5. You had been obsessed with this idea throughout the project.

  6. They had been obsessing their neighbor with their loud music until he complained to the landlord.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais obsédé J’avais obsédé mon esprit. I had obsessed my mind.
tu tu avais obsédé Tu avais obsédé ton travail. You had obsessed your work.
il il avait obsédé Il avait obsédé sa vie. He had obsessed his life.
elle elle avait obsédé Elle avait obsédé ses pensées. She had obsessed her thoughts.
on on avait obsédé On avait obsédé notre conversation. One had obsessed our conversation.
nous nous avions obsédé Nous avions obsédé le sujet. We had obsessed the topic.
vous vous aviez obsédé Vous aviez obsédé la question. You had obsessed the question.
ils ils avaient obsédé Ils avaient obsédé leur projet. They had obsessed their project.
elles elles avaient obsédé Elles avaient obsédé leur destin. They had obsessed their destiny.

Other Conjugations for Obséder.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb obséder
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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