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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb pétitionner

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The English translation of the French verb pétitionner is “to petition.” It is pronounced as “pay-ti-shoh-nay.”

The word pétitionner comes from the French noun pétition, which means “petition.” It is derived from the Latin word petitio, meaning “request” or “demand.” The verb pétitionner is most often used in everyday French to describe the act of making a formal written request or complaint to a person or authority.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, pétitionner is used to describe an action that had been completed before another action in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, along with their English translations:

  1. J’avais pétitionné pour une réduction des tarifs de transport en commun avant que la grève ne soit déclarée.
    Translation: I had petitioned for a reduction in public transportation fares before the strike was declared.

  2. Tu avais pétitionné pour une meilleure protection de l’environnement avant que la loi ne soit adoptée.
    Translation: You had petitioned for better environmental protection before the law was passed.

  3. Elle avait pétitionné pour obtenir une audience avec le président avant que les élections ne soient organisées.
    Translation: She had petitioned for a meeting with the president before the elections were held.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais pétitionné J’avais pétitionné pour la réforme. I had petitioned for reform.
tu tu avais pétitionné Tu avais pétitionné contre l’injustice. You had petitioned against injustice.
il il avait pétitionné Il avait pétitionné pour le changement. He had petitioned for change.
elle elle avait pétitionné Elle avait pétitionné pour l’égalité. She had petitioned for equality.
on on avait pétitionné On avait pétitionné pour les droits. One had petitioned for rights.
nous nous avions pétitionné Nous avions pétitionné pour la justice. We had petitioned for justice.
vous vous aviez pétitionné Vous aviez pétitionné pour la paix. You had petitioned for peace.
ils ils avaient pétitionné Ils avaient pétitionné pour la liberté. They had petitioned for freedom.
elles elles avaient pétitionné Elles avaient pétitionné pour le changement. They had petitioned for change.

Other Conjugations for Pétitionner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pétitionner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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