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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb discerner

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The English translation of the French verb discerner is “to discern” or “to distinguish.” It is pronounced as “dees-sehr-nay” in its infinitive form.

The word “discerner” comes from the Latin word “discernere,” meaning “to separate” or “to distinguish.” It entered the French language in the 14th century and has been used in various forms and tenses since then.

In everyday French, discerner is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which corresponds to the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to talk about an action that was completed before another past action.

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

  1. J’avais discerné sa voix parmi toutes les autres. (I had discerned his voice among all the others.)
  2. Elle avait discerné les mensonges de son petit ami depuis longtemps. (She had discerned her boyfriend’s lies for a long time.)
  3. Nous avions discerné les signes avant-coureurs de la crise économique. (We had discerned the warning signs of the economic crisis.)

In these examples, discerner is used to express the idea of perceiving, recognizing or understanding something in the past. It is often used with verbs such as “voir” (to see), “entendre” (to hear), or “comprendre” (to understand).

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais discerné J’avais discerné la vérité. I had discerned the truth.
tu tu avais discerné Tu avais discerné le mensonge. You had discerned the lie.
il il avait discerné Il avait discerné la solution. He had discerned the solution.
elle elle avait discerné Elle avait discerné la clé. She had discerned the key.
on on avait discerné On avait discerné le problème. One had discerned the problem.
nous nous avions discerné Nous avions discerné l’erreur. We had discerned the mistake.
vous vous aviez discerné Vous aviez discerné le danger. You had discerned the danger.
ils ils avaient discerné Ils avaient discerné la raison. They had discerned the reason.
elles elles avaient discerné Elles avaient discerné la réponse. They had discerned the answer.

Other Conjugations for Discerner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb discerner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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