The plus-que-parfait in French is used to indicate that an action occurred before another past event. This card provides details on its construction and usage, with a particular focus on the verbs "faire" and "aller".
Construction
The construction of the plus-que-parfait requires the use of the auxiliary verb "avoir" or "être" in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb.
Faire
- J'avais fait
- Tu avais fait
- Il/Elle avait fait
- Nous avions fait
- Vous aviez fait
- Ils/Elles avaient fait
Aller
- J'étais allé(e)
- Tu étais allé(e)
- Il était allé / Elle était allée
- Nous étions allé(e)s
- Vous étiez allé(e)(s)
- Ils étaient allés / Elles étaient allées
Usage
The plus-que-parfait is used to:
- Express a past action that occurred before another action also in the past.
- Narrate events or describe states that occurred prior to a reference point in the past.
Examples
Here are five examples illustrating the use of the plus-que-parfait to describe past actions that occurred before other past events.
- Avant que tu appelles, j'avais déjà éteint mon téléphone. (Before you called, I had already turned off my phone.)
- Quand ils sont arrivés au sommet, le soleil s'était déjà levé. (When they reached the top, the sun had already risen.)
- Nous avions mangé quand le film a commencé. (We had eaten when the movie started.)
- Elle était sortie avant que la pluie ne commence. (She had gone out before the rain started.)
- Il avait fini son travail avant de partir en vacances. (He had finished his work before going on vacation.)
Usage Tips
The plus-que-parfait enriches the narrative by precisely situating actions in time. It is essential for expressing the sequence of events in stories, historical descriptions, or in everyday language to recount personal experiences.