Linguafy|Language learning just got interesting

Pluperfect Grammar - Lesson 1/1

 

 

 

Lesson 1

 

 

The pluperfect tense is used to talk about what had happened. An example of this is 'Tu avais mangé avant  de partir'='You had eaten before leaving'.

 

To form the pluperfect tense, just use this simple formula:

 

 

Subject + imperfect tense + past participle

 

All you have to do is say the person ('je' for example), then the imperfect conjugation of the verb avoir or être, and then the past participle (see the perfect tense for information about forming this.)

 

​

​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The great thing about the pluperfect tense is that you already know the imperfect and perfect tenses, it's just about combining them! This means that all nuggets of grammar that apply to the perfect and imperfect tenses apply here (for example, you still add an -s to the past participle if the subject is masc. plural with être.)

 

Examples:

 

'J'avais pensé qu'il était un idiot'='I had thought that he was an idiot'

'Nous avions habité en Espagne avant de venir ici'='We had lived in Spain before coming here'

'Ils s'étaient rasés avant de se brosser leurs cheveux'='They had shaved before brushing their hair'