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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb exposer

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The English translation of the French verb exposer is “to expose.” The infinitive form, exposer, is pronounced as [ɛk.spo.ze].

The word exposer comes from the Latin word “exponere,” which means “to set out, explain, or exhibit.” It entered the French language in the 14th century and has since evolved to have multiple meanings, such as “to expose, reveal, present, or put on display.”

In everyday French, exposer is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to talk about an action that occurred before another past action.

Examples:

  1. J’avais exposé mes idées avant que le chef ne prenne sa décision. (I had presented my ideas before the boss made his decision.)

  2. Tu avais exposé tes tableaux avant que la galerie ne ferme. (You had exhibited your paintings before the gallery closed.)

  3. Ils avaient exposé leur projet de recherche avant que la subvention ne soit approuvée. (They had exposed their research project before the grant was approved.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais exposé J’avais exposé mes idées. I had explained my ideas.
tu tu avais exposé Tu avais exposé le tableau. You had displayed the painting.
il il avait exposé Il avait exposé son argument. He had presented his argument.
elle elle avait exposé Elle avait exposé son travail. She had showcased her work.
on on avait exposé On avait exposé les faits. One had exposed the facts.
nous nous avions exposé Nous avions exposé nos opinions. We had expressed our opinions.
vous vous aviez exposé Vous aviez exposé les détails. You had outlined the details.
ils ils avaient exposé Ils avaient exposé leurs projets. They had presented their projects.
elles elles avaient exposé Elles avaient exposé leurs idées. They had shared their ideas.

Other Conjugations for Exposer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb exposer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Exposer – 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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