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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb potasser

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The English translation of the French verb potasser is “to cram” or “to study intensively.” It is pronounced as “po-ta-say.”

The language origin of potasser comes from the Latin word “potare” which means “to drink,” and the French suffix “-er” which indicates the infinitive form of a verb. In everyday French, potasser is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense.

Examples:

  1. J’avais potassé mes notes toute la nuit avant l’examen. (I had crammed my notes all night before the exam.)
  2. Tu avais potassé ton vocabulaire avant de partir en voyage. (You had studied your vocabulary before going on the trip.)
  3. Il avait potassé les règles du jeu avant de commencer la partie. (He had crammed the rules of the game before starting the game.)

Overall, potasser is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to indicate an action that was completed before another past action. It emphasizes the intensive studying or preparation that was done in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais potassé J’avais potassé mes leçons. I had studied my lessons.
tu tu avais potassé Tu avais potassé le sujet. You had studied the subject.
il il avait potassé Il avait potassé la matière. He had studied the material.
elle elle avait potassé Elle avait potassé ses notes. She had studied her notes.
on on avait potassé On avait potassé le livre. One had studied the book.
nous nous avions potassé Nous avions potassé le dossier. We had studied the file.
vous vous aviez potassé Vous aviez potassé la leçon. You had studied the lesson.
ils ils avaient potassé Ils avaient potassé le chapitre. They had studied the chapter.
elles elles avaient potassé Elles avaient potassé le sujet. They had studied the subject.

Other Conjugations for Potasser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb potasser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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