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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb estiver

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The English translation of the French verb estiver is “to be” in the past tense. The infinitive form of the verb is “être” and it is pronounced as “eh-truh” in French.

The French verb estiver originated from the Latin word “stare” meaning “to stand”. It evolved over time to become “estiver” in Old French and eventually “être” in modern French. It is one of the most commonly used verbs in the French language and is used to indicate a state of being or existence.

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

Here are three simple examples of how estiver is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense in everyday French:

  1. J’avais été à Paris l’année dernière. (I had been to Paris last year.)
  2. Il avait été malade la semaine précédente. (He had been sick the previous week.)
  3. Nous avions été amis depuis l’enfance. (We had been friends since childhood.)

In all these examples, estiver is used to indicate a state that existed before a specific past action or time. In English, the verb “to have” is used in the past tense instead of “to be” to convey the same meaning.

In conclusion, estiver is a commonly used verb in the French language which originated from the Latin word “stare”. It is used to indicate a state of being or existence and is often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to describe an action that was completed before another past action or time.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’étais estivé J’étais estivé en France. I had been in France.
tu tu étais estivé Tu étais estivé à la plage. You had been at the beach.
il il était estivé Il était estivé en vacances. He had been on vacation.
elle elle était estivée Elle était estivée à la campagne. She had been in the countryside.
on on était estivé On était estivé à la montagne. One had been in the mountains.
nous nous étions estivés Nous étions estivés au bord de la mer. We had been by the seaside.
vous vous étiez estivé Vous étiez estivé à Paris. You had been in Paris.
ils ils étaient estivés Ils étaient estivés à la campagne. They had been in the countryside.
elles elles étaient estivées Elles étaient estivées en Espagne. They had been in Spain.

Other Conjugations for Estiver.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb estiver
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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