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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb expliquer

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The English translation of the French verb expliquer is “to explain.” It is pronounced as “eks-plee-kay.”

The word expliquer comes from the Latin verb explicare, which means “to unfold” or “to explain.” In everyday French, it is used to describe the action of giving a clear and detailed explanation of something.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, which corresponds to the past perfect tense in English, expliquer is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action. It is formed by conjugating the auxiliary verb avoir or être in the imperfect tense and adding the past participle of expliquer.

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

  1. J’avais expliqué la situation à mes parents avant qu’ils ne partent en vacances. (I had explained the situation to my parents before they left for vacation.)
  2. Elle était partie en courant sans m’expliquer pourquoi. (She had left in a hurry without explaining to me why.)
  3. Nous avions déjà expliqué les règles du jeu avant que les invités n’arrivent. (We had already explained the rules of the game before the guests arrived.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais expliqué J’avais expliqué le plan. I had explained the plan.
tu tu avais expliqué Tu avais expliqué la situation. You had explained the situation.
il il avait expliqué Il avait expliqué le problème. He had explained the problem.
elle elle avait expliqué Elle avait expliqué la procédure. She had explained the procedure.
on on avait expliqué On avait expliqué les règles. One had explained the rules.
nous nous avions expliqué Nous avions expliqué les détails. We had explained the details.
vous vous aviez expliqué Vous aviez expliqué le processus. You had explained the process.
ils ils avaient expliqué Ils avaient expliqué le concept. They had explained the concept.
elles elles avaient expliqué Elles avaient expliqué le problème. They had explained the problem.

Other Conjugations for Expliquer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb expliquer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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