“il avait pris” y “il avait prit”? Understanding the rules of French grammar will clarify which form is correct. This article will help you determine the proper usage in compound past tenses to avoid common errors in French writing.
Il avait pris (correcto)
Il avait prit (incorrecto)
Comprender los participios pasados en tiempos compuestos
En francés, el plus-que-parfait (pluperfect) tense is used to describe actions completed before another action in the past. It combines the auxiliary verb “avoir” o “être” in the imperfect tense with a past participle. Choosing the correct past participle is crucial to ensure grammatical accuracy.
Forma correcta: “Il avait pris”
La expresión correcta es “il avait pris”donde “pris” es el participio pasado del verbo prendre (to take). In this phrase:
- “Il avait” means “he had” (the imperfect tense of “avoir”).
- “Pris” is the proper past participle of prendre and remains unchanged in compound tenses.
Utilizando “il avait pris” is grammatically correct, as “pris” does not vary according to the subject’s gender or number in this context.
Error común: “Il avait prit”
Escribir “il avait prit” en lugar de “il avait pris” is a frequent error, often made due to confusion with similar-sounding verbs. However, “prit” is the third person singular of the passé simple (simple past) tense for “prendre” and is not used as a past participle.
Por qué “Prit” es incorrecto
- “Prit” does not function as a past participle and cannot be used in compound tenses.
- It is reserved exclusively for the passé simple, a literary tense that is rarely used in spoken French but appears in formal writing.
Por qué “Il avait pris” es la forma correcta
The correct past participle for prendre in compound tenses like the plus-que-parfait is always pris. This rule remains consistent, making “il avait pris” the only grammatically accurate option.
- Examples with different subjects:
- “Elle avait pris” (She had taken)
- “Nous avions pris” (Habíamos tomado)
- “Ils avaient pris” (Habían tomado)
In each case, pris is used without alteration, illustrating the correct structure.
Additional Examples to Confirm Usage
Consider other verbs with irregular past participles that follow the same pattern in compound tenses:
- “Il avait dit” (He had said) — from dire
- “Il avait fait” (He had done) — from faire
- “Il avait écrit” (He had written) — from écrire
These examples further demonstrate the consistent use of irregular past participles, reinforcing the correct choice of “il avait pris”.