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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb perpétuer

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The English translation of the French verb perpétuer is “to perpetuate” or “to continue.” The infinitive form, perpétuer, is pronounced as pehr-peh-tew-eh.

Perpétuer comes from the Latin word perpetuare, which means “to make continuous.” It is derived from the word perpetuus, meaning “continuous” or “uninterrupted.” In everyday French, perpétuer is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English.

Here are 3 simple examples of perpétuer in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. Ils avaient perpétué la tradition familiale de célébrer Noël en grande pompe. (They had perpetuated the family tradition of celebrating Christmas in grand style.)

  2. Elle avait perpétué la réputation de son père en tant qu’avocat renommé. (She had perpetuated her father’s reputation as a renowned lawyer.)

  3. Les effets dévastateurs de la guerre avaient été perpétués pendant des générations. (The devastating effects of war had been perpetuated for generations.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais perpétué J’avais perpétué sa mémoire. I had perpetuated his memory.
tu tu avais perpétué Tu avais perpétué la tradition. You had perpetuated the tradition.
il il avait perpétué Il avait perpétué l’héritage. He had perpetuated the legacy.
elle elle avait perpétué Elle avait perpétué la tradition orale. She had perpetuated the oral tradition.
on on avait perpétué On avait perpétué la coutume. One had perpetuated the custom.
nous nous avions perpétué Nous avions perpétué la mémoire culturelle. We had perpetuated the cultural memory.
vous vous aviez perpétué Vous aviez perpétué l’histoire. You had perpetuated the history.
ils ils avaient perpétué Ils avaient perpétué la lignée. They had perpetuated the lineage.
elles elles avaient perpétué Elles avaient perpétué la tradition familiale. They had perpetuated the family tradition.

Other Conjugations for Perpétuer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb perpétuer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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