The plus-que-parfait, or past perfect, is a French tense used to describe actions that had been completed before another past event.
Structure
The plus-que-parfait is formed using the imperfect tense of the auxiliary verbs "avoir" or "être" followed by the past participle of the main verb.
Formation
Subject | Auxiliary (Imparfait) | Past Participle
--- | --- | ---
Je | avais / étais | parlé
Tu | avais / étais | fini
Il/Elle/On | avait / était | vu
Nous | avions / étions | pris
Vous | aviez / étiez | fait
Ils/Elles | avaient / étaient | allé(e)s
Example Sentences
- J'avais mangé avant de partir.
(I had eaten before leaving.)
- Tu étais déjà parti quand je suis arrivé.
(You had already left when I arrived.)
- Il avait terminé ses devoirs avant le dîner.
(He had finished his homework before dinner.)
- Nous étions allés au cinéma avant de rentrer.
(We had gone to the cinema before coming back.)
- Vous aviez vu le film avant moi.
(You had seen the film before me.)
- Elles avaient fini le projet avant la date limite.
(They had finished the project before the deadline.)
Usage
The plus-que-parfait is used to express an action that was completed prior to another action in the past. It provides context or background to another past event.
Example Context
- J'avais déjà lu le livre quand le film est sorti.
- Elle était partie avant que je n'arrive.
Conjugation Table
"Avoir" in the Plus-Que-Parfait
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Je | avais eu |
| Tu | avais eu |
| Il/Elle/On | avait eu |
| Nous | avions eu |
| Vous | aviez eu |
| Ils/Elles | avaient eu |
"Être" in the Plus-Que-Parfait
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Je | étais allé(e) |
| Tu | étais allé(e) |
| Il/Elle/On | était allé(e) |
| Nous | étions allé(e)s |
| Vous | étiez allé(e)(s) |
| Ils/Elles | étaient allé(e)s |
Key Points
- Use "avoir" or "être" as auxiliaries based on the verb (same rules as passé composé).
- Verbs using "être" must agree in gender and number with the subject.
- The plus-que-parfait sets the stage for another past event, indicating that one action was completed before another.