Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aider

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb aider

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The English translation of aider is “to help.” The infinitive form of aider is pronounced “eh-day.”

Aider comes from the Old French verb “aide,” meaning “help,” and is derived from the Latin word “adjutare,” meaning “to help, assist.” In everyday French, aider is most commonly used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to describe an action that happened before another past action.

Three simple examples of its usage in the Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. J’avais aidé mon ami à déménager avant de partir en vacances. (I had helped my friend move before going on vacation.)
  2. Elle avait aidé sa mère à préparer le dîner avant que ses amis n’arrivent. (She had helped her mother prepare dinner before her friends arrived.)
  3. Nous avions aidé nos voisins à réparer leur voiture avant qu’il ne pleuve. (We had helped our neighbors fix their car before it started raining.)

Table of the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of aider

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais aidé J’avais aidé mes amis. I had helped my friends.
tu tu avais aidé Tu avais aidé ton frère. You had helped your brother.
il il avait aidé Il avait aidé sa mère. He had helped his mother.
elle elle avait aidé Elle avait aidé son père. She had helped her father.
on on avait aidé On avait aidé nos voisins. One had helped our neighbors.
nous nous avions aidé Nous avions aidé nos camarades. We had helped our classmates.
vous vous aviez aidé Vous aviez aidé vos collègues. You had helped your colleagues.
ils ils avaient aidé Ils avaient aidé leurs amis. They had helped their friends.
elles elles avaient aidé Elles avaient aidé leurs parents. They had helped their parents.

Other Conjugations for Aider.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb aider
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aider
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aider
   

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aider
   

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aider
   

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aider
   

    Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aider     (this article)

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aider

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aider

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aider

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aider
   

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aider

    Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aider
   

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aider
   

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aider

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aider

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aider

    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
   

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Aider – About the French Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense

The French “plus-que-parfait” tense is a past tense used to express actions or events that occurred before another past action or event. It is often translated to English as the “pluperfect” tense. The name “plus-que-parfait” literally means “more than perfect,” indicating that it is a tense used to describe actions that were completed before a specific point in the past.
NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Tense Formation

To form the plus-que-parfait tense, you typically use the auxiliary verb “avoir” (to have) or “être” (to be) in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb. Here are the conjugations for both auxiliary verbs:
1. With “avoir” as the auxiliary verb:
   – J’avais mangé (I had eaten)
   – Tu avais parlé (You had spoken)
   – Il/elle/on avait fini (He/She/One had finished)
   – Nous avions lu (We had read)
   – Vous aviez choisi (You had chosen)
   – Ils/elles avaient joué (They had played)
2. With “être” as the auxiliary verb (usually for intransitive verbs or verbs indicating a state):
   – J’étais parti(e) (I had left)
   – Tu étais arrivé(e) (You had arrived)
   – Il/elle/on était tombé(e) (He/She/One had fallen)
   – Nous étions resté(e)s (We had stayed)
   – Vous étiez né(e)(s) (You had been born)
   – Ils/elles étaient monté(e)s (They had gone up)

Common everyday usage patterns

Sequencing of past events

The plus-que-parfait is used to express a past action that happened before another past action. For example, “J’avais mangé avant qu’il ne soit arrivé” (I had eaten before he arrived).

Background information

It is also used to provide background information or set the stage for a main past event. For instance, “Quand je suis arrivé, ils avaient déjà fini de manger” (When I arrived, they had already finished eating).

Hypothetical or reported speech

In indirect speech, the plus-que-parfait is used to report what someone had said or thought in the past. For example, “Il avait dit qu’il viendrait demain” (He had said that he would come tomorrow).

Interactions with other tenses

– The plus-que-parfait is often used in conjunction with the passé composé (simple past) to establish the sequence of past events. The passé composé describes the more recent action, while the plus-que-parfait describes the action that occurred earlier.
– It can also be used with the conditional mood to express a hypothetical past event, like “Si j’avais su, j’aurais agi différemment” (If I had known, I would have acted differently).
– When used in reported speech, it can be combined with the conditional mood or the imperfect subjunctive to reflect the original mood and tense of the reported statement.

Summary

The French plus-que-parfait tense is an essential part of the language for expressing past actions that occurred before other past actions, providing background information, and reporting past statements or thoughts. It is an integral component of constructing complex and accurate narratives in French.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb aider. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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