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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb examiner

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The English translation of the French verb examiner is “to examine.” The infinitive form is pronounced “egz-am-een-ey.”

The word examiner comes from the Latin word “examinare,” which means “to weigh, test, or examine.” It entered the French language in the 14th century and has been used in everyday language as a verb to describe the action of carefully looking at something or someone in order to evaluate or assess it.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English, examiner is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. J’avais examiné tous les documents avant de prendre une décision. (I had examined all the documents before making a decision.)
  2. Il avait examiné les éléments de preuve attentivement avant de les présenter au tribunal. (He had examined the evidence carefully before presenting it to the court.)
  3. Nous avions examiné tous les angles possibles avant de conclure que c’était un accident. (We had examined all possible angles before concluding that it was an accident.)

In these examples, the action of examining was completed before the other past action (making a decision, presenting evidence, and concluding). The Plus-que-parfait tense is often used in French to indicate a sequence of events in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais examiné J’avais examiné le livre. I had examined the book.
tu tu avais examiné Tu avais examiné le document. You had examined the document.
il il avait examiné Il avait examiné le rapport. He had examined the report.
elle elle avait examiné Elle avait examiné le dossier. She had examined the file.
on on avait examiné On avait examiné le cas. One had examined the case.
nous nous avions examiné Nous avions examiné le témoignage. We had examined the testimony.
vous vous aviez examiné Vous aviez examiné l’affaire. You had examined the case.
ils ils avaient examiné Ils avaient examiné le dossier. They had examined the file.
elles elles avaient examiné Elles avaient examiné le cas. They had examined the case.

Other Conjugations for Examiner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb examiner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Examiner – 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.

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