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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb aliter

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of aliter. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb aliter is “to alter” or “to change.” The infinitive form of aliter is pronounced as “ah-lee-tay.”

Aliter comes from the Latin word “alter,” meaning “other” or “different.” It entered the French language during the Middle Ages.

In everyday French, aliter is most often used in the plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to express an action that occurred before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of how aliter is used in the plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais déjà alité mes vêtements quand j’ai réalisé qu’il faisait froid dehors.
    (I had already changed my clothes when I realized it was cold outside.)

  2. Elle avait alité sa coiffure avant de sortir pour le dîner.
    (She had altered her hairstyle before going out for dinner.)

  3. Nous avions alité nos plans pour le week-end avant que la pluie ne gâche tout.
    (We had changed our plans for the weekend before the rain ruined everything.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais alité J’avais alité toute la journée. I had been in bed all day.
tu tu avais alité Tu avais alité le patient. You had put the patient to bed.
il il avait alité Il avait alité la vieille dame. He had put the old lady to bed.
elle elle avait alité Elle avait alité le bébé. She had put the baby to bed.
on on avait alité On avait alité la personne malade. One had put the sick person to bed.
nous nous avions alité Nous avions alité le blessé. We had put the wounded person to bed.
vous vous aviez alité Vous aviez alité le malade. You had put the patient to bed.
ils ils avaient alité Ils avaient alité le mourant. They had put the dying person to bed.
elles elles avaient alité Elles avaient alité le blessé. They had put the wounded person to bed.

Other Conjugations for Aliter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aliter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Aliter – 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 aliter. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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