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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb officier

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The English translation of the French verb officier is “to officiate” or “to hold a position.”

The infinitive form of officier is pronounced oh-fee-syay.

The word officier comes from the Old French word “oficier,” which originated from the Latin word “officium,” meaning “duty” or “office.” It is most commonly used in everyday French to refer to someone who holds a position of authority or responsibility, such as a military officer or a government official.

In the plus-que-parfait tense, officier is used to describe an action that had already been completed before another action in the past. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the imperfect tense followed by the past participle of officier.

Example 1: J’avais officié lors de la cérémonie de remise des prix. (I had officiated at the award ceremony.)

Example 2: Les généraux avaient officié pendant la guerre. (The generals had officiated during the war.)

Example 3: Elle avait officié en tant que maire pendant dix ans avant de prendre sa retraite. (She had officiated as the mayor for ten years before retiring.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais officié J’avais officié la cérémonie. I had officiated the ceremony.
tu tu avais officié Tu avais officié le match. You had officiated the game.
il il avait officié Il avait officié la réunion. He had officiated the meeting.
elle elle avait officié Elle avait officié la conférence. She had officiated the conference.
on on avait officié On avait officié le concert. One had officiated the concert.
nous nous avions officié Nous avions officié le mariage. We had officiated the wedding.
vous vous aviez officié Vous aviez officié la cérémonie. You had officiated the ceremony.
ils ils avaient officié Ils avaient officié la fête. They had officiated the party.
elles elles avaient officié Elles avaient officié la cérémonie. They had officiated the ceremony.

Other Conjugations for Officier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb officier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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