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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb politiquer

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of politiquer. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb politiquer is “to engage in politics” or “to politick.” It is pronounced poh-lee-tee-ker in its infinitive form.

The word politiquer comes from the French noun politique, which means “politics.” It is derived from the Greek word politikos, meaning “civilian” or “citizen.” In everyday French, politiquer is 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.

Here are three simple examples of politiquer in the Plus-que-parfait tense with their English translations:

  1. J’avais politiqué pendant des années avant de devenir maire.
    Translation: I had been engaging in politics for years before becoming mayor.

  2. Tu avais politiqué avec lui avant qu’il ne décide de se présenter aux élections.
    Translation: You had been politicking with him before he decided to run for election.

  3. Elle avait politiqué pour gagner des votes lors de la dernière campagne électorale.
    Translation: She had been politicking to gain votes during the last election campaign.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais politiqué J’avais politiqué toute la journée. I had been politicking all day.
tu tu avais politiqué Tu avais politiqué pour ton parti. You had been politicking for your party.
il il avait politiqué Il avait politiqué avec les autres candidats. He had been politicking with the other candidates.
elle elle avait politiqué Elle avait politiqué avec les électeurs. She had been politicking with the voters.
on on avait politiqué On avait politiqué pour gagner des votes. One had been politicking to win votes.
nous nous avions politiqué Nous avions politiqué ensemble. We had been politicking together.
vous vous aviez politiqué Vous aviez politiqué pour obtenir un poste. You had been politicking to get a position.
ils ils avaient politiqué Ils avaient politiqué depuis des mois. They had been politicking for months.
elles elles avaient politiqué Elles avaient politiqué pour leurs intérêts. They had been politicking for their own interests.

Other Conjugations for Politiquer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb politiquer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the politiquer Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts