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.
Q&A
Paul
Kwiziq community member
28 May 2018
2 replies
Plus-que-parfait vs imparfait
Why is "She had been dreaming" (in the writing exercise) translated with the imparfait "Elle rêvait" instead of the plus-que-parfait "Elle avait rêvé"?
Cécile
Kwiziq language super star
29/05/18
Hi Paul,
Could you let me know which writing exercise this refers to or the context ?
Paul
Kwiziq community member
29/05/18
Hi Cécile, It is the May 25 Writing Challenge, Level B1: Trip to Paris
Kwiziq does not allow me to do the challenge more than once so I cannot show you the English sentence, but I think it was "She'd been dreaming of it (the trip) for ever, and the given translation is "Elle en rêvait depuis toujours."
Thanks, Paul
Ron
Kwiziq community member
29/08/17
Reem
Kwiziq community member
5 November 2018
1 reply
Is the plus-ques parfait the same as Passé composé?
In the sense that in être verbs, additions such as e, s, es are made when nscessary? For example:
Passé Composé:
Je suis sortie ( I am a girl)
would Plus-que parfait be:
J'étais sortie or J'étais sorti?
Cécile
Kwiziq language super star
7 November 2018
7/11/18
Hi Reem,
You are correct...
With verbs that take the auxiliary être, the past participle will agree in gender and number with the subject just as in the passé composé and other compound tenses of the indicative mood...
So it would be -
J'étais sorti/e = I had gone out
Hope this helps!