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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb détonner

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The English translation of the French verb détonner is “to stand out” or “to be out of place.” It is pronounced “day-tone-nay” in the infinitive form.

Détonner comes from the French word “tonner,” meaning “to thunder.” It is derived from the Latin word “tonare,” also meaning “to thunder.” It is most often used in French to describe something or someone that stands out or appears out of place in a certain situation.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, détonner is used to describe something that had stood out or seemed out of place in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais détonné dans cette famille conservatrice. (I had stood out in this conservative family.)
  2. Tu avais détonné avec ta tenue de soirée lors de cette soirée décontractée. (You had stood out with your evening outfit at that casual party.)
  3. Il avait détonné dans ce groupe d’amis par son attitude réservée. (He had seemed out of place in this group of friends with his reserved attitude.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais détonné J’avais détonné dans la salle. I had stood out in the room.
tu tu avais détonné Tu avais détonné dans le groupe. You had stood out in the group.
il il avait détonné Il avait détonné avec son style unique. He had stood out with his unique style.
elle elle avait détonné Elle avait détonné avec ses talents. She had stood out with her talents.
on on avait détonné On avait détonné avec nos actions. One had stood out with our actions.
nous nous avions détonné Nous avions détonné avec nos idées. We had stood out with our ideas.
vous vous aviez détonné Vous aviez détonné avec votre présence. You had stood out with your presence.
ils ils avaient détonné Ils avaient détonné avec leurs actions. They had stood out with their actions.
elles elles avaient détonné Elles avaient détonné avec leurs opinions. They had stood out with their opinions.

Other Conjugations for Détonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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