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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb pétrifier

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The English translation of the French verb pétrifier is “to petrify.” The infinitive form of the verb is pronounced “pey-tree-fee-yay.”

Pétrifier comes from the Latin word “petra,” meaning “rock” or “stone.” It entered into French in the 12th century and was originally used to describe the process of turning something into stone or hardening it. Over time, it took on a figurative meaning of “to paralyze with fear” or “to freeze in shock.”

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

Examples:

  1. J’avais été pétrifié en voyant le fantôme dans le vieux château. (I had been petrified when I saw the ghost in the old castle.)
  2. Elle avait été pétrifiée par la nouvelle de sa mort. (She had been paralyzed with shock by the news of his death.)
  3. Les enfants avaient été pétrifiés en entendant les cris dans la nuit. (The children had been frozen in fear upon hearing the screams in the night.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais pétrifié J’avais pétrifié la masse de pâte. I had petrified the dough.
tu tu avais pétrifié Tu avais pétrifié le serpent. You had petrified the snake.
il il avait pétrifié Il avait pétrifié la citrouille. He had petrified the pumpkin.
elle elle avait pétrifié Elle avait pétrifié le chat. She had petrified the cat.
on on avait pétrifié On avait pétrifié le bois. One had petrified the wood.
nous nous avions pétrifié Nous avions pétrifié la statue. We had petrified the statue.
vous vous aviez pétrifié Vous aviez pétrifié la pierre. You had petrified the stone.
ils ils avaient pétrifié Ils avaient pétrifié l’arbre. They had petrified the tree.
elles elles avaient pétrifié Elles avaient pétrifié la roche. They had petrified the rock.

Other Conjugations for Pétrifier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pétrifier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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