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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb discréditer

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The English translation of the French verb discréditer is “to discredit.” It is pronounced “dees-kreh-dee-tay.”

The word discréditer comes from the Latin word “discredere” which means “to disbelieve or distrust.” In French, it is most often used in everyday language to describe the act of damaging someone’s reputation or credibility.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, discréditer is conjugated as “avais discrédité” for the first and second person singular, “avais discrédité” for the third person singular, and “avions discrédité” for the first person plural. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the imperfect tense and adding the past participle “discrédité.”

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. J’avais discrédité ses propos en prouvant mes arguments. (I had discredited his statements by proving my arguments.)
  2. Tu avais discrédité notre équipe en manquant de fair-play. (You had discredited our team by lacking sportsmanship.)
  3. Ils avaient discrédité leur propre entreprise en mentant aux clients. (They had discredited their own company by lying to clients.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais discrédité J’avais discrédité mes adversaires. I had discredited my opponents.
tu tu avais discrédité Tu avais discrédité son témoignage. You had discredited his testimony.
il il avait discrédité Il avait discrédité l’étude. He had discredited the study.
elle elle avait discrédité Elle avait discrédité ses collègues. She had discredited her colleagues.
on on avait discrédité On avait discrédité leur propos. One had discredited their statements.
nous nous avions discrédité Nous avions discrédité cette théorie. We had discredited this theory.
vous vous aviez discrédité Vous aviez discrédité l’idée. You had discredited the idea.
ils ils avaient discrédité Ils avaient discrédité la réputation. They had discredited the reputation.
elles elles avaient discrédité Elles avaient discrédité le travail. They had discredited the work.

Other Conjugations for Discréditer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb discréditer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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