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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb posséder

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The English translation of the French verb posséder is “to possess” or “to own”. It is pronounced as “poh-seh-deh”.

The language origin of posséder can be traced back to the Latin word “possidere”, which means “to have, possess, or hold”. In everyday French, it is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that had already been completed before another past action.

Three simple examples of its usage in the Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. J’avais possédé cette maison pendant plus de dix ans avant de la vendre. (I had owned this house for more than ten years before selling it.)
  2. Tu avais possédé cette voiture avant qu’elle ne tombe en panne. (You had possessed this car before it broke down.)
  3. Ils avaient possédé cette entreprise avant de la revendre à une plus grande société. (They had possessed this company before selling it to a larger corporation.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais possédé J’avais possédé une grande collection de livres. I had possessed a large collection of books.
tu tu avais possédé Tu avais possédé une belle voiture. You had possessed a beautiful car.
il il avait possédé Il avait possédé une grande fortune. He had possessed a great fortune.
elle elle avait possédé Elle avait possédé une magnifique maison. She had possessed a magnificent house.
on on avait possédé On avait possédé une entreprise prospère. One had possessed a prosperous business.
nous nous avions possédé Nous avions possédé un beau jardin. We had possessed a beautiful garden.
vous vous aviez possédé Vous aviez possédé un château. You had possessed a castle.
ils ils avaient possédé Ils avaient possédé une grande entreprise. They had possessed a large company.
elles elles avaient possédé Elles avaient possédé une belle collection d’art. They had possessed a beautiful art collection.

Other Conjugations for Posséder.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb posséder
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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