French grammar - The pluperfect - Le plus-que-parfait |
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The pluperfect (le plus-que-parfait) is used to express a completed action in the past that happened before or during another past action. -- The equivalent in English is 'had (done something)'. It is often used in a subordinate clause where the main clause is in le passé composé or l'imparfait. Le plus-que-parfait is formed with the auxiliary in l'imparfait followed by the past participle of the verb. -- To put it more simply, le plus-que-parfait is le passe compose with the auxiliary in l'imparfiat. Indeed, the choice of auxiliary, être or avoir, is the same as for le passé composé. Le plus-que-parfait is also used to express wishes about the past - using si seulement ('if only…') for instance. As always, the past participle must agree in number and gender with a preceding direct‐object noun or pronoun. |
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J'étais déjà sorti quand tu as téléphoné.
I had already left when you (familiar) called. |
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Il avait déjà commencé son travail quand son directeur a téléphoné.
He had already started his work when his manager telephoned. |
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Elle n'avait pas encore fini ses devoirs quand sa mère l'a appelée.
She hadn't finished her homework yet when her mother called her. |
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Quand je me suis réveillée, Sarah était déjà partie travailler.
When I woke up, Sarah had already left for work. |
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À notre arrivée, elle était déjà partie en vacances en Normandie.
When we arrived, she had already gone on vacation to Normandy.
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Le réveil a sonné et Valérie n'avait pas fermé l'œil.
The alarm clock rang and Valérie hadn't slept a bit.
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J'avais mal à l'estomac parce que j'avais mangé quelque chose de mauvais.
I had a stomachache because I had eaten something bad.
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Il marchait avec peine parce qu'il était tombé.
He walked with difficulty because he had fallen.
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Ce n'est pas la peine. Nous avions déjà pensé à cela.
Don't worry. We had already thought of that.
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Il n'avait pas mangé avant de faire ses devoirs.
He hadn't eaten before doing his homework. |
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Elles ont fait du shopping ce matin. Mais il s'est avéré que je l'avais déjà fait hier.
They (females) did the shopping this morning. But I had already done it yesterday. |
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Annabel a appris à aimer le chat qui l'avait mordue.
Annabel learned to love the cat that bit her.
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Nous avions voulu vous parler, mais il s'est avéré que nous n'avions pas le temps.
We had wanted to talk to you (formal) but it turned out that we didn't have time. |
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Elle ne s'était pas bien préparée avant de donner sa présentation.
She had not prepared well before giving her presentation. |
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Cette robe ? Elle l'avait achetée quand elle était à Paris.
This dress? She had bought it when she was in Paris. |
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Si seulement nous avions gagné le prix !
If only we had won the prize!
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Si seulement j'avais eu assez d'argent !
If only I had had enough money!
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Past wish or regret