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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb présenter

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The English translation of the French verb présenter is “to present” or “to introduce.” It is pronounced “pray-zahn-tay.”

The word présenter comes from the Latin word “praesentare,” meaning “to exhibit” or “to show.” In modern French, it is most often used as a transitive verb, meaning it requires a direct object. It can be used in a variety of contexts, such as introducing someone or something, presenting an idea or argument, or showing a physical object.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, présenter is often used to indicate an action that had already been completed in the past before another action occurred. For example:

  1. J’avais présenté le projet avant qu’il ne soit approuvé. (I had presented the project before it was approved.)
  2. Tu avais présenté tes excuses, mais il ne les avait pas acceptées. (You had apologized, but he did not accept them.)
  3. Elle avait présenté les différents aspects du problème avant de proposer une solution. (She had presented the different aspects of the problem before offering a solution.)

The Plus-que-parfait tense in English is equivalent to the past perfect tense, which uses “had + past participle.” The above examples can be translated as:

  1. I had presented the project before it was approved.
  2. You had apologized, but he did not accept them.
  3. She had presented the different aspects of the problem before offering a solution.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais présenté J’avais présenté mon projet. I had presented my project.
tu tu avais présenté Tu avais présenté ton passeport. You had presented your passport.
il il avait présenté Il avait présenté ses idées. He had presented his ideas.
elle elle avait présenté Elle avait présenté son rapport. She had presented her report.
on on avait présenté On avait présenté le plan. One had presented the plan.
nous nous avions présenté Nous avions présenté notre proposition. We had presented our proposal.
vous vous aviez présenté Vous aviez présenté vos arguments. You had presented your arguments.
ils ils avaient présenté Ils avaient présenté leur projet. They had presented their project.
elles elles avaient présenté Elles avaient présenté leur demande. They had presented their request.

Other Conjugations for Présenter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb présenter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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