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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb donner

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The English translation of the French verb donner is “to give.” It is pronounced as “doh-nay.”

The origin of the verb donner can be traced back to the Latin word “donare,” which also means “to give.” It entered the French language in the 12th century and has remained a commonly used verb since then.

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

Three simple examples of donner in the Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. J’avais donné mon livre à mon ami avant de partir en vacances.
    Translation: I had given my book to my friend before leaving for vacation.

  2. Ils étaient déjà partis quand je leur ai donné les invitations.
    Translation: They had already left when I gave them the invitations.

  3. Nous avions donné un pourboire au serveur après avoir fini notre repas.
    Translation: We had given a tip to the waiter after finishing our meal.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais donné J’avais donné mon livre à ma sœur. I had given my book to my sister.
tu tu avais donné Tu avais donné ton stylo à ton ami. You had given your pen to your friend.
il il avait donné Il avait donné son manteau à sa mère. He had given his coat to his mother.
elle elle avait donné Elle avait donné son collier à sa fille. She had given her necklace to her daughter.
on on avait donné On avait donné notre chien à notre voisin. One had given our dog to our neighbor.
nous nous avions donné Nous avions donné nos jouets à des enfants. We had given our toys to some children.
vous vous aviez donné Vous aviez donné vos livres à la bibliothèque. You had given your books to the library.
ils ils avaient donné Ils avaient donné leur voiture à leur frère. They had given their car to their brother.
elles elles avaient donné Elles avaient donné leur collier à leur mère. They had given their necklace to their mother.

Other Conjugations for Donner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb donner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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