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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb gainer

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The English translation of the French verb gainer is “to gain” or “to win.” The infinitive form, “gagner,” is pronounced as “gah-nyey.”

The language origin of gainer can be traced back to the Latin word “guadagnare,” meaning “to earn” or “to acquire.” It entered the French language in the 12th century and has been used in various contexts ever since.

In everyday French, the verb gagner is most commonly used in the Plus-que-parfait (pluperfect) tense, which expresses an action that happened before another past action. Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. J’avais gagné le match avant que mon adversaire ne marque un point. (I had won the match before my opponent scored a point.)
  2. Tu avais gagné beaucoup d’argent avant de perdre ton emploi. (You had earned a lot of money before losing your job.)
  3. Il avait gagné la confiance de ses collègues avant de trahir leur secret. (He had gained the trust of his colleagues before betraying their secret.)

The English translations for these sentences are in the past perfect tense, as the Plus-que-parfait tense does not exist in English. They express actions that were completed before another past action.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais gainé J’avais gainé la corde. I had covered the rope.
tu tu avais gainé Tu avais gainé la poignée. You had covered the handle.
il il avait gainé Il avait gainé la barre. He had covered the bar.
elle elle avait gainé Elle avait gainé le manche. She had covered the handle.
on on avait gainé On avait gainé la structure. One had covered the structure.
nous nous avions gainé Nous avions gainé le fuselage. We had covered the fuselage.
vous vous aviez gainé Vous aviez gainé le câble. You had covered the cable.
ils ils avaient gainé Ils avaient gainé le fil. They had covered the wire.
elles elles avaient gainé Elles avaient gainé la tige. They had covered the rod.

Other Conjugations for Gainer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb gainer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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