Plus-que-parfait is a French past tense used to indicate actions that had already been completed before another past action. It is formed with the imperfect tense of the auxiliary verb (avoir or être) and the past participle.
The plus-que-parfait (pluperfect) tense in French is used to describe an action that had already been completed before another action took place in the past. It is the equivalent of the English past perfect tense ("had done something"). The plus-que-parfait provides context by establishing a sequence of past events.
How It’s Formed
The plus-que-parfait is formed using two parts:
- The imperfect tense of the auxiliary verb avoir or être
- The past participle of the main verb
The structure looks like this:
[Auxiliary in imperfect] + [past participle]
How do you form the plus-que-parfait for the verb 'parler' (to speak) in the first person singular?
J’avais parlé
'J’avais parlé' uses the auxiliary 'avoir' in the imperfect ('avais') plus the past participle 'parlé' to form the plus-que-parfait.
Choosing the Auxiliary Verb
Use avoir for most verbs.
Use être for:
- All reflexive verbs (e.g., se laver)
- A group of movement/change of state verbs (Dr. & Mrs. Vandertramp verbs), such as aller, venir, sortir, arriver, naître, mourir, descendre, monter, retourner, partir, tomber, revenir, devenir, rentrer
When using être, the past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject:
- Add -e for feminine singular
- Add -s for masculine plural
- Add -es for feminine plural
Examples
Parler (to speak) – uses avoir
- J’avais parlé avant son arrivée.
(I had spoken before he arrived.)
- Elle avait déjà parlé au professeur.
(She had already spoken to the teacher.)
Aller (to go) – uses être
- J’étais allé au marché.
(I had gone to the market.)
- Elles étaient allées au musée.
(They [feminine] had gone to the museum.)
Se laver (to wash oneself) – reflexive, uses être
- Je m’étais lavé(e) avant de sortir.
(I had washed myself before going out.)
Common Signal Words
- déjà (already)
- avant que (before)
- lorsque (when)
- après que (after)
- ça (that)
- tout à coup (suddenly — context helps)
- une fois que (once)
These words often indicate a sequence of past events where the plus-que-parfait is needed.
Which of the following signal words often indicate the use of plus-que-parfait?
déjà, avant que, lorsque, après que, une fois que
These words indicate a sequence of past events or conditions, which is a common context for the plus-que-parfait.
Usage Tips
- The plus-que-parfait always refers to something that happened before another past action.
- It provides background context or explains a cause.
- It often appears in narratives, stories, or reports to set the scene.
- Be sure to use the correct auxiliary and make participle agreement when required.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
