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 eaten my dinner, I went for a walk.
Of course, English speakers are likely to make contractions: I'd eaten, etc.
J'avais mangé tous les biscuits, et il n'en restait aucun pour les invités !
I had eaten all the biscuits, and there was none left for the guests!
Après qu'elle lui avait avoué ce qu'elle ressentait, elle avait rougi.
After she'd confessed to him how she felt, she'd blushed.
The Plus-que-parfait is formed on the same model as the Passé Composé, except avoir (or être) are here conjugated in the Imparfait.
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
aimer
Vous aviez aimé ce concert.
You had liked that concert.
applaudir
Ce soir-là, ils avaient applaudi comme jamais auparavant.
That evening, they'd applauded like never before.
choisir
Si nous l'avions choisi, nous l'aurions regretté.
If we'd chosen him, we would have regretted it.
danser
écouter
Nous avions écouté
We had listened
entendre
Ils avaient tous entendu ce bruit.
They had all heard this noise.
jouer
Ils avaient joué toute la nuit.
They had played all night.
manger
J'avais mangé tous les biscuits, et il n'en restait aucun pour les invités !
I had eaten all the biscuits, and there was none left for the guests!
répondre
Aviez-vous répondu à sa lettre à l'époque ?
Had you answered her letter at the time?
réussir
J'avais réussi à les convaincre.
I had managed to convince them.
rougir
Après qu'elle lui avait avoué ce qu'elle ressentait, elle avait rougi.
After she'd confessed to him how she felt, she'd blushed.
vendre
J'avais vendu ma vieille voiture.
I had sold my old car.
Loading your Kwiz
Andrew
Kwiziq community member
28 August 2017
1 reply
Past perfect: sequential events
Hi, I have a question about he following sentence in the lesson: "Après qu'elle lui avait avoué ce qu'elle ressentait, elle avait rougi." Seems logical to me that she would have blushed AFTER she confessed her feelings, hence "elle a rougi" makes more sense, no? Would appreciate your thoughts, thanks in advance!
Ron
Kwiziq community member
29 August 2017
29/08/17
I think that your phrase «elle a rougi» is appropriate with usage of le Plus-que-Parfait in the après qu'elle lui avait avoué. . . (see the lesson below in the link).
https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/my-languages/french/view/4706
However, because this lesson was about le Plus-que-parfait singularly, I can see the reasoning for both verbs being in le PQP in the example given in the lesson.
Bonne chance et bonne continuation dans vos études en français.