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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déclarer

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The English translation of the French verb déclarer is “to declare” or “to state.” It is pronounced as [deh-kla-ray].

The word déclarer comes from the Latin word “declarare,” meaning “to make clear” or “to explain.” In everyday French, déclarer is most often used to express a statement, assertion, or declaration. In the Plus-que-parfait tense, déclarer is used to express an action that was completed in the past before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of déclarer in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais déclaré mes revenus avant de partir en vacances. (I had declared my income before going on vacation.)
  2. Tu avais déclaré ton amour pour elle, mais elle t’avait rejeté. (You had declared your love for her, but she had rejected you.)
  3. Ils avaient déclaré qu’ils ne viendraient pas à la fête, mais ils sont venus quand même. (They had declared that they wouldn’t come to the party, but they still came.)

In all of these examples, déclarer is used to express a completed action in the past, before another past action.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais déclaré J’avais déclaré mes impôts. I had declared my taxes.
tu tu avais déclaré Tu avais déclaré ta candidature. You had declared your candidacy.
il il avait déclaré Il avait déclaré la guerre. He had declared war.
elle elle avait déclaré Elle avait déclaré sa flamme. She had declared her love.
on on avait déclaré On avait déclaré l’indépendance. One had declared independence.
nous nous avions déclaré Nous avions déclaré notre amour. We had declared our love.
vous vous aviez déclaré Vous aviez déclaré votre intention. You had declared your intention.
ils ils avaient déclaré Ils avaient déclaré leur victoire. They had declared their victory.
elles elles avaient déclaré Elles avaient déclaré la vérité. They had declared the truth.

Other Conjugations for Déclarer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déclarer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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