Le Plus-que-parfait in French is the direct equivalent of the Pluperfect in English. It could be described as "the past of the past":
e.g. After I had had to do my homework, I went for a walk.
Of course, English speakers are likely to make contractions: I'd had to, etc.
Look at these examples of "devoir" in the Plus-que-parfait :
J'avais dû en racheter un nouveau après que Patrick avait cassé le mien.I'd had to buy a new one after Patrick had broken mine.
Si elle avait dû le faire, vous auriez eu des problèmes.If she'd had to do it, you would have been in trouble.
Nous avions dû nettoyer la maison avant que mes parents ne vissent le désordre.We'd had to clean the house before my parents saw the mess.
Elles avaient dû repasser l'examen, après qu'elles avaient échoué les trois premières fois!They'd had to take the exam again, after they'd failed the first three times!
Notice that the Plus-que-parfait of "devoir" follows this construction:
Verb avoir in the Imparfait + dû (past participle of devoir)
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Examples and resources
Si elle avait dû le faire, vous auriez eu des problèmes.If she'd had to do it, you would have been in trouble.
Nous avions dû nettoyer la maison avant que mes parents ne vissent le désordre.We'd had to clean the house before my parents saw the mess.
Elles avaient dû repasser l'examen, après qu'elles avaient échoué les trois premières fois!They'd had to take the exam again, after they'd failed the first three times!
