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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb changer

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The English translation of the French verb changer is “to change.” It is pronounced “shahn-zhay” in its infinitive form.

The word changer comes from the Latin word “cambiare” meaning “to exchange” or “to alter.” In everyday French, it is a commonly used verb that can mean a variety of things depending on the context. It can refer to physical changes, such as changing clothes or changing the channel on the TV, or it can also refer to more abstract changes, such as changing one’s mind or changing a situation.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English, changer is used to express an action that had already been completed in the past. It is formed by conjugating the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the imperfect tense and adding the past participle of changer, which is “changé.”

Here are three examples of changer in the Plus-que-parfait tense, with their English translations:

  1. J’avais changé d’avis avant de partir. (I had changed my mind before leaving.)

  2. Nous étions déjà changés quand ils sont arrivés. (We had already changed when they arrived.)

  3. Elle avait changé sa robe pour une plus élégante. (She had changed her dress for a more elegant one.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais changé J’avais changé d’avis. I had changed my mind.
tu tu avais changé Tu avais changé de chemise. You had changed your shirt.
il il avait changé Il avait changé ses habitudes. He had changed his habits.
elle elle avait changé Elle avait changé de coiffure. She had changed her hairstyle.
on on avait changé On avait changé de plan. One had changed plans.
nous nous avions changé Nous avions changé de voiture. We had changed cars.
vous vous aviez changé Vous aviez changé de travail. You had changed jobs.
ils ils avaient changé Ils avaient changé de direction. They had changed direction.
elles elles avaient changé Elles avaient changé de salle. They had changed rooms.

Other Conjugations for Changer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb changer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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