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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb pacser

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The English translation of the French verb pacser is “to enter into a civil union.” It is pronounced as “pak-seh.”

The word “pacser” comes from the Latin word “pactum,” meaning “agreement.” It is most often used in everyday French to refer to the legal process of entering into a civil union, which is a form of partnership recognized by the French government. This union gives couples many of the same rights and benefits as marriage.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, pacser is used to indicate an action that had been completed in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense:

1) J’avais pacsé avec mon partenaire il y a deux ans. (I had entered into a civil union with my partner two years ago.)

2) Tu avais pacsé avec ta copine avant de déménager à Paris. (You had entered into a civil union with your girlfriend before moving to Paris.)

3) Ils avaient pacsé pour des raisons financières plutôt que d’amour. (They had entered into a civil union for financial reasons rather than love.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais pacsé J’avais pacsé avec ma partenaire. I had entered into a civil partnership with my partner.
tu tu avais pacsé Tu avais pacsé avec ton compagnon. You had entered into a civil partnership with your partner.
il il avait pacsé Il avait pacsé avec sa conjointe. He had entered into a civil partnership with his partner.
elle elle avait pacsé Elle avait pacsé avec son conjoint. She had entered into a civil partnership with her partner.
on on avait pacsé On avait pacsé avec notre compagne. One had entered into a civil partnership with their partner.
nous nous avions pacsé Nous avions pacsé avec nos conjoints. We had entered into a civil partnership with our partners.
vous vous aviez pacsé Vous aviez pacsé avec vos compagnes. You had entered into a civil partnership with your partners.
ils ils avaient pacsé Ils avaient pacsé avec leurs conjoints. They had entered into a civil partnership with their partners.
elles elles avaient pacsé Elles avaient pacsé avec leurs conjointes. They had entered into a civil partnership with their partners.

Other Conjugations for Pacser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pacser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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