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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb posticher

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English translation: The English translation of the French verb posticher is “to wear a false hairpiece or wig.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “poh-stee-shay.”

Language origin: The French verb posticher comes from the noun postiche, which means “false hairpiece or wig.” It ultimately comes from the Latin word postis, meaning “beam” or “pillar,” as wigs were originally made using a frame or structure similar to a beam or pillar.

Everyday usage in Plus-que-parfait tense: In everyday French, posticher is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses actions that were completed before another past action. It is often used in storytelling or describing past events.

Example 1: J’avais postiché mes cheveux avant d’aller à la fête. (I had worn a wig before going to the party.)
Example 2: Quand j’ai vu la photo de l’époque, je me suis rappelé que j’avais postiché mes cheveux ce jour-là. (When I saw the old photo, I remembered that I had worn a wig that day.)
Example 3: Elle avait postiché ses cheveux pour le spectacle de danse. (She had worn a wig for the dance performance.)

English translations:
Example 1: I had worn a wig before going to the party.
Example 2: When I saw the old photo, I remembered that I had worn a wig that day.
Example 3: She had worn a wig for the dance performance.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais postiché J’avais postiché mes cheveux. I had put on a wig.
tu tu avais postiché Tu avais postiché ta moustache. You had put on a mustache.
il il avait postiché Il avait postiché sa barbe. He had put on a beard.
elle elle avait postiché Elle avait postiché ses cils. She had put on false eyelashes.
on on avait postiché On avait postiché nos sourcils. One had put on fake eyebrows.
nous nous avions postiché Nous avions postiché nos perruques. We had put on wigs.
vous vous aviez postiché Vous aviez postiché vos barbes. You had put on beards.
ils ils avaient postiché Ils avaient postiché leurs moustaches. They had put on mustaches.
elles elles avaient postiché Elles avaient postiché leurs cheveux. They had put on wigs.

Other Conjugations for Posticher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb posticher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Posticher – 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.

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