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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb paresser

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The English translation of the French verb paresser is “to laze around” or “to idle.” It is pronounced as “pah-reh-say.”

The origin of paresser can be traced back to the Old French word “paresse,” which means laziness or idleness. In everyday French, it is a commonly used verb to describe someone who is being lazy or inactive. In the Plus-que-parfait tense, it is used to describe an action that occurred before another past action.

Examples:

  1. J’avais paresse toute la journée avant de me mettre au travail. (I had been lazing around all day before starting to work.)
  2. Elle avait paresse devant la télé pendant des heures avant de se décider à sortir. (She had been idling in front of the TV for hours before deciding to go out.)
  3. Nous avions paresse à la plage toute la matinée avant de rentrer à la maison. (We had been lounging at the beach all morning before going back home.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais paressé J’avais paressé toute la journée. I had been lazy all day.
tu tu avais paressé Tu avais paressé au soleil. You had been lounging in the sun.
il il avait paressé Il avait paressé dans son lit. He had been lazing in his bed.
elle elle avait paressé Elle avait paressé sur le canapé. She had been lounging on the couch.
on on avait paressé On avait paressé au parc. One had been lounging in the park.
nous nous avions paressé Nous avions paressé toute la matinée. We had been lazy all morning.
vous vous aviez paressé Vous aviez paressé devant la télé. You had been lounging in front of the TV.
ils ils avaient paressé Ils avaient paressé toute la soirée. They had been lazy all evening.
elles elles avaient paressé Elles avaient paressé toute la journée. They had been lazy all day.

Other Conjugations for Paresser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb paresser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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