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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb allumer

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The English translation of the French verb allumer is “to light up” or “to turn on.” The infinitive form is pronounced “ah-loo-may.”

The word allumer comes from the Latin “illuminate,” and is derived from the Latin words “ad” (to) and “lumen” (light). It is most commonly used in everyday French to describe the action of turning on or lighting up a source of light or heat, such as a lamp, fire, or stove.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, allumer is used to describe an action that had been completed before another action in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais allumé la cheminée avant que mes invités n’arrivent. (I had lit the fireplace before my guests arrived.)
  2. Tu avais allumé toutes les bougies pour créer une ambiance romantique. (You had lit all the candles to create a romantic atmosphere.)
  3. Nous avions allumé le feu de camp pour cuisiner nos marshmallows. (We had lit the campfire to cook our marshmallows.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais allumé J’avais allumé la lampe. I had turned on the lamp.
tu tu avais allumé Tu avais allumé la télévision. You had turned on the television.
il il avait allumé Il avait allumé la bougie. He had lit the candle.
elle elle avait allumé Elle avait allumé la cheminée. She had started the fireplace.
on on avait allumé On avait allumé le feu. One had started the fire.
nous nous avions allumé Nous avions allumé les lumières. We had turned on the lights.
vous vous aviez allumé Vous aviez allumé le four. You had turned on the oven.
ils ils avaient allumé Ils avaient allumé la chaudière. They had turned on the boiler.
elles elles avaient allumé Elles avaient allumé les bougies. They had lit the candles.

Other Conjugations for Allumer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb allumer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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