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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb préconiser

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The English translation of the French verb préconiser is “to advocate” or “to recommend.” It is pronounced as “preh-koh-nee-zeh.”

The language origin of préconiser comes from the Latin word “praecōnizāre” which means “to proclaim.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense.

Three simple examples of its usage in the Plus-que-parfait tense with their respective English translations are:

  1. J’avais préconisé cette méthode depuis le début. (I had advocated for this method from the beginning.)
  2. Elle avait préconisé une pause pour réfléchir avant de prendre une décision. (She had recommended taking a break to think before making a decision.)
  3. Les experts avaient préconisé une stratégie différente, mais nous avons suivi leur conseil. (The experts had recommended a different strategy, but we followed their advice.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais préconisé J’avais préconisé une nouvelle approche. I had recommended a new approach.
tu tu avais préconisé Tu avais préconisé une solution différente. You had recommended a different solution.
il il avait préconisé Il avait préconisé une méthode alternative. He had recommended an alternative method.
elle elle avait préconisé Elle avait préconisé un changement de stratégie. She had recommended a change of strategy.
on on avait préconisé On avait préconisé une approche plus efficace. One had recommended a more effective approach.
nous nous avions préconisé Nous avions préconisé une réforme. We had recommended a reform.
vous vous aviez préconisé Vous aviez préconisé une nouvelle directive. You had recommended a new directive.
ils ils avaient préconisé Ils avaient préconisé une mesure urgente. They had recommended an urgent measure.
elles elles avaient préconisé Elles avaient préconisé une solution durable. They had recommended a sustainable solution.

Other Conjugations for Préconiser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb préconiser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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