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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb alterner

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The English translation of the French verb alterner is “to alternate.” The infinitive form, alterner, is pronounced “ahl-tehr-nay.”

The word alterner comes from the Latin word “alternare,” meaning “to alternate.” It is a regular -er verb and is used to describe the action of alternating between two things or taking turns.

In everyday French, the verb alterner is often used in the plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. Hier soir, j’avais alterné entre le thé et le café pendant tout le dîner. (Last night, I had alternated between tea and coffee throughout dinner.)

  2. Quand nous sommes arrivés à la fête, les deux frères avaient déjà alterner pour jouer de la guitare. (When we arrived at the party, the two brothers had already taken turns playing the guitar.)

  3. Il avait été obligé d’alterner entre les deux emplois pour subvenir aux besoins de sa famille. (He had to alternate between two jobs to support his family.)

In these examples, the verb alterner is used to express the idea of taking turns or alternating between different things or actions in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais alterné J’avais alterné les exercices. I had alternated the exercises.
tu tu avais alterné Tu avais alterné les tâches. You had alternated the tasks.
il il avait alterné Il avait alterné les cours. He had alternated the classes.
elle elle avait alterné Elle avait alterné les plats. She had alternated the dishes.
on on avait alterné On avait alterné les activités. One had alternated the activities.
nous nous avions alterné Nous avions alterné les chansons. We had alternated the songs.
vous vous aviez alterné Vous aviez alterné les jeux. You had alternated the games.
ils ils avaient alterné Ils avaient alterné les rôles. They had alternated the roles.
elles elles avaient alterné Elles avaient alterné les tâches. They had alternated the tasks.

Other Conjugations for Alterner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb alterner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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