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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb alléguer

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The English translation of the French verb alléguer is “to allege” or “to claim.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “ah-lay-guer.”

The word alléguer comes from the Latin word “allēgāre,” which means “to adduce” or “to assert.” It entered the French language in the 14th century.

In everyday French, alléguer 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 was completed before another past action or at a specific point in the past.

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

  1. J’avais allégué que je n’avais pas eu le temps de finir mon travail. (I had claimed that I didn’t have time to finish my work.)
  2. Tu avais allégué que tu étais malade pour ne pas venir à l’école. (You had alleged that you were sick to not come to school.)
  3. Elle avait allégué que les retards du train étaient la raison de son retard. (She had alleged that train delays were the reason for her being late.)

In each of these examples, alléguer is used to express something that was claimed or alleged in the past, before a specific event or action took place.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais allégué J’avais allégué des preuves. I had alleged evidence.
tu tu avais allégué Tu avais allégué des témoignages. You had alleged testimonies.
il il avait allégué Il avait allégué des arguments. He had alleged arguments.
elle elle avait allégué Elle avait allégué des excuses. She had alleged excuses.
on on avait allégué On avait allégué des raisons. One had alleged reasons.
nous nous avions allégué Nous avions allégué des faits. We had alleged facts.
vous vous aviez allégué Vous aviez allégué des accusations. You had alleged accusations.
ils ils avaient allégué Ils avaient allégué des mensonges. They had alleged lies.
elles elles avaient allégué Elles avaient allégué des motifs. They had alleged reasons.

Other Conjugations for Alléguer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb alléguer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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