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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb patenter

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The English translation of the verb patenter is “to patent”. It is pronounced “pa-tan-tay”.

The word patenter comes from the Latin word “patentare”, meaning “to make open”. In French, it is most often used in the context of securing a legal right to an invention or idea by obtaining a patent.

In everyday French, patenter is most commonly used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the equivalent of the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that happened before another action in the past.

Here are three examples of patenter being used in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

1) J’avais patenté mon invention avant de la présenter à la foire. (I had patented my invention before presenting it at the fair.)

2) Nous avions patenter notre méthode de production avant de la mettre en place. (We had patented our production method before implementing it.)

3) Vous aviez patenté votre idée géniale avant qu’elle ne soit volée par quelqu’un d’autre. (You had patented your brilliant idea before it was stolen by someone else.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais patenté J’avais patenté mon invention. I had patented my invention.
tu tu avais patenté Tu avais patenté ton idée. You had patented your idea.
il il avait patenté Il avait patenté son produit. He had patented his product.
elle elle avait patenté Elle avait patenté sa méthode. She had patented her method.
on on avait patenté On avait patenté la technologie. One had patented the technology.
nous nous avions patenté Nous avions patenté notre découverte. We had patented our discovery.
vous vous aviez patenté Vous aviez patenté votre concept. You had patented your concept.
ils ils avaient patenté Ils avaient patenté leur invention. They had patented their invention.
elles elles avaient patenté Elles avaient patenté leur méthode. They had patented their method.

Other Conjugations for Patenter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb patenter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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