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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb peser

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The English translation of the French verb peser is “to weigh.” It is pronounced as “peh-zey.”

The word peser comes from the Latin word “pensare,” meaning “to weigh.” It has been used in French since the 12th century.

In everyday French, peser is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to talk about an action that was completed before another past action.

Examples:

  1. J’avais pesé les pommes avant de les mettre dans le sac. (I had weighed the apples before putting them in the bag.)
  2. Nous avions pesé nos valises avant de partir à l’aéroport. (We had weighed our suitcases before leaving for the airport.)
  3. Elle avait pesé la farine avant de la mélanger avec les autres ingrédients. (She had weighed the flour before mixing it with the other ingredients.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais pesé J’avais pesé les ingrédients. I had weighed the ingredients.
tu tu avais pesé Tu avais pesé le sac. You had weighed the bag.
il il avait pesé Il avait pesé le fruit. He had weighed the fruit.
elle elle avait pesé Elle avait pesé la viande. She had weighed the meat.
on on avait pesé On avait pesé le légume. One had weighed the vegetable.
nous nous avions pesé Nous avions pesé la farine. We had weighed the flour.
vous vous aviez pesé Vous aviez pesé le colis. You had weighed the package.
ils ils avaient pesé Ils avaient pesé les bagages. They had weighed the luggage.
elles elles avaient pesé Elles avaient pesé la valise. They had weighed the suitcase.

Other Conjugations for Peser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb peser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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