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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb détailler

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The English translation of the French verb détailler is “to detail.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-tah-yay.”

Détailler comes from the French word “détail,” meaning “detail,” which ultimately derives from the Latin word “detalium.” In everyday French, détailler is most commonly 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 détailler in the Plus-que-parfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. J’avais détaillé tous les ingrédients avant de commencer à cuisiner. (I had detailed all the ingredients before starting to cook.)

  2. Ils avaient détaillé leur itinéraire avant de partir en vacances. (They had detailed their itinerary before leaving for vacation.)

  3. Elle m’avait détaillé toutes les instructions avant de me laisser faire le travail. (She had detailed all the instructions to me before letting me do the job.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais détaillé J’avais détaillé toutes les informations. I had detailed all the information.
tu tu avais détaillé Tu avais détaillé le plan. You had detailed the plan.
il il avait détaillé Il avait détaillé les options. He had detailed the options.
elle elle avait détaillé Elle avait détaillé la procédure. She had detailed the procedure.
on on avait détaillé On avait détaillé le processus. One had detailed the process.
nous nous avions détaillé Nous avions détaillé les tarifs. We had detailed the prices.
vous vous aviez détaillé Vous aviez détaillé le contrat. You had detailed the contract.
ils ils avaient détaillé Ils avaient détaillé les résultats. They had detailed the results.
elles elles avaient détaillé Elles avaient détaillé l’étude. They had detailed the study.

Other Conjugations for Détailler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détailler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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