The plus-que-parfait (pluperfect) is a compound tense used to describe actions that had already been completed before another past event occurred. It is equivalent to the English past perfect tense (“had done”).
Forming the Plus-que-parfait
The plus-que-parfait is formed using the imperfect tense of avoir or être as the auxiliary verb, followed by the past participle of the main verb.
- For most verbs, use avoir.
- For verbs of movement and reflexive verbs, use être.
Example Conjugations
| Pronoun | Avoir Verb: parler (to speak) | English | Être Verb: aller (to go) | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Je | j’avais parlé | I had spoken | j’étais allé(e) | I had gone |
| Tu | tu avais parlé | You had spoken | tu étais allé(e) | You had gone |
| Il/Elle | il/elle avait parlé | He/She had spoken | il/elle était allé(e) | He/She had gone |
| Nous | nous avions parlé | We had spoken | nous étions allé(e)s | We had gone |
| Vous | vous aviez parlé | You had spoken | vous étiez allé(e)(s) | You had gone |
| Ils/Elles | ils/elles avaient parlé | They had spoken | ils/elles étaient allé(e)s | They had gone |
Usage
- To express an action that had already happened before another past action.
Example:
Elle avait déjà mangé quand il est arrivé.
(She had already eaten when he arrived.)
- To show cause or explain why something happened.
Example:
Il était fatigué parce qu’il avait travaillé toute la nuit.
(He was tired because he had worked all night.)
- In reported speech to express what someone had said, thought, or believed earlier.
Example:
Il a dit qu’il avait fini le travail.
(He said that he had finished the work.)
Signal Words
The plus-que-parfait is often used with time expressions indicating one event happened before another:
- déjà (already)
- avant que (before)
- quand (when)
- dès que (as soon as)
- tout à l’heure (earlier)
- une fois que (once)
Which pair of signal words means "before" and "when," respectively, in French, and often appear with plus-que-parfait?
avant que (before), quand (when)
"Avant que" means "before" and "quand" means "when;" both are common signal words for using the plus-que-parfait.
Irregular Past Participles
Most irregular past participles are the same in plus-que-parfait. Usee with appropriate auxiliary:
| Infinitive | Past Participle | Example (Je) | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| faire | fait | J’avais fait mes devoirs. | I had done my homework. |
| prendre | pris | J’avais pris le train. | I had taken the train. |
| voir | vu | J’avais vu ce film. | I had seen that movie. |
| écrire | écrit | J’avais écrit la lettre. | I had written the letter. |
| mettre | mis | J’avais mis la table. | I had set the table. |
Choose the correct past participle for the verb "prendre" in the plus-que-parfait.
pris
The irregular past participle of "prendre" is "pris", which is used with the auxiliary verb in the plus-que-parfait.
Agreement Rules with Être
When using être as the auxiliary, the past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject:
- Add -e for feminine singular (allée).
- Add -s for masculine plural (allés).
- Add -es for feminine plural (allées).
Examples
- Elle était partie tôt.* (She had left early.)
- Ils étaient revenus tard.* (They had returned late.)
Reflexive Verbs
Reflexive verbs always use être in plus-que-parfait, and the past participle agrees with the reflexive pronoun if it is the direct object.
Example:
Elle s’était lavée. (She had washed herself.)
Elle s’était lavé les mains. (She had washed her hands.) — no agreement because les mains is the direct object.
Summary
The plus-que-parfait is a compound tense formed with the auxiliary (avoir or être) in the imperfect plus the past participle. It describes actions completed before another past action and is commonly used with time expressions like avant que, quand, and déjà.
Example: Hier, j’avais déjà fini mes devoirs quand mes amis sont arrivés.
(Yesterday, I had already finished my homework when my friends arrived.)
Flashcards (1 of 11)
- Pronoun: Je
- Avoir Verb: parler (to speak): j’avais parlé
- Être Verb: aller (to go): j’étais allé(e)
- English: I had gone
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
