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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb pontifier

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The English translation of the French verb pontifier is “to pontificate.” It is pronounced as [pɔ̃.ti.fi.je] in the infinitive form.

The word originates from the Latin word “pontifex,” which means “bridge maker” or “high priest.” In everyday French, the verb pontifier is often used to describe someone who speaks in a pompous or self-righteous manner, often giving lengthy and preachy speeches.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, pontifier is conjugated as “avais pontifié” (for the first and second person singular) or “avait pontifié” (for the third person singular). Here are three examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. J’avais pontifié toute la soirée sur la politique sans vraiment écouter les opinions des autres. (I had pontificated all evening about politics without really listening to others’ opinions.)

  2. Tu avais pontifié avec arrogance sur tes réussites alors que tu n’avais rien accompli toi-même. (You had pontificated arrogantly about your achievements even though you had not accomplished anything yourself.)

  3. Il avait pontifié pendant des heures sur l’importance de la discipline, mais il était lui-même très désorganisé. (He had pontificated for hours about the importance of discipline, but he himself was very disorganized.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais pontifié J’avais pontifié pendant des heures. I had pontificated for hours.
tu tu avais pontifié Tu avais pontifié sans cesse. You had pontificated constantly.
il il avait pontifié Il avait pontifié devant la foule. He had pontificated in front of the crowd.
elle elle avait pontifié Elle avait pontifié sur la politique. She had pontificated about politics.
on on avait pontifié On avait pontifié sur la vie. One had pontificated about life.
nous nous avions pontifié Nous avions pontifié sur la religion. We had pontificated about religion.
vous vous aviez pontifié Vous aviez pontifié sur l’art. You had pontificated about art.
ils ils avaient pontifié Ils avaient pontifié sur la science. They had pontificated about science.
elles elles avaient pontifié Elles avaient pontifié sur l’environnement. They had pontificated about the environment.

Other Conjugations for Pontifier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pontifier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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