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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb démontrer

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The English translation of the French verb démontrer is “to demonstrate” or “to show.”

In English, the word démontrer is pronounced as “day-mon-tray.”

The word démontrer comes from the Latin term “demonstrare,” which means “to point out” or “to explain.” In everyday French, démontrer is 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 had already been completed before another past action.

Here are 3 simple examples of démontrer in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais démontré mes compétences en informatique avant de postuler pour le poste de développeur. (I had demonstrated my computer skills before applying for the developer position.)
  2. Avant de construire la tour, l’architecte avait démontré ses plans en détail à l’équipe de construction. (Before building the tower, the architect had shown his plans in detail to the construction team.)
  3. Elle avait démontré sa capacité à gérer des projets complexes lors de son précédent emploi. (She had demonstrated her ability to manage complex projects in her previous job.)

Overall, démontrer is a versatile verb that can be used in various contexts to express the idea of showing or demonstrating something. In the Plus-que-parfait tense, it is used to talk about past actions that had already been completed before another past action.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais démontré J’avais démontré ma théorie. I had demonstrated my theory.
tu tu avais démontré Tu avais démontré ta capacité. You had demonstrated your ability.
il il avait démontré Il avait démontré ses connaissances. He had demonstrated his knowledge.
elle elle avait démontré Elle avait démontré sa maîtrise. She had demonstrated her mastery.
on on avait démontré On avait démontré leur erreur. One had demonstrated their mistake.
nous nous avions démontré Nous avions démontré notre méthode. We had demonstrated our method.
vous vous aviez démontré Vous aviez démontré votre talent. You had demonstrated your talent.
ils ils avaient démontré Ils avaient démontré leur incompétence. They had demonstrated their incompetence.
elles elles avaient démontré Elles avaient démontré leur courage. They had demonstrated their courage.

Other Conjugations for Démontrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démontrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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