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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb présager

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The English translation of the French verb présager is “to foresee” or “to predict.” It is pronounced “preh-zah-zhay.”

The word présager comes from the Latin word “praesagere,” meaning “to predict” or “to anticipate.” It entered the French language in the 14th century and has been used to refer to predicting future events or outcomes.

In everyday French, présager is commonly used in the Plus-que-parfait (pluperfect) tense, which is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action. In this tense, the verb is conjugated with the auxiliary verb “avoir” followed by the past participle form of présager, which is “présagé.”

  1. J’avais présagé que tu ne viendrais pas à la fête. (I had foreseen that you wouldn’t come to the party.)
  2. Elle avait présagé le succès de son entreprise. (She had predicted the success of her company.)
  3. Ils avaient présagé que la météo serait mauvaise. (They had anticipated that the weather would be bad.)

In these examples, présager is used to describe something that was predicted or anticipated before a past event. The Plus-que-parfait tense adds a sense of completed action to the verb, emphasizing that the prediction had been made before the event took place.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais présagé J’avais présagé le succès de l’entreprise. I had foreseen the success of the company.
tu tu avais présagé Tu avais présagé une tempête. You had predicted a storm.
il il avait présagé Il avait présagé une crise économique. He had predicted an economic crisis.
elle elle avait présagé Elle avait présagé une bonne nouvelle. She had foreseen good news.
on on avait présagé On avait présagé une guerre imminente. One had predicted an imminent war.
nous nous avions présagé Nous avions présagé la fin du monde. We had predicted the end of the world.
vous vous aviez présagé Vous aviez présagé un avenir radieux. You had predicted a bright future.
ils ils avaient présagé Ils avaient présagé le pire. They had predicted the worst.
elles elles avaient présagé Elles avaient présagé un mariage prochain. They had predicted an upcoming wedding.

Other Conjugations for Présager.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb présager
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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