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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb garder

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of garder. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb garder is “to keep” or “to guard.” The infinitive form of garder is pronounced as “gar-day.”

The word garder comes from the Latin word “guardare,” meaning “to protect.” It entered the French language in the 12th century and has since evolved to include meanings of “to watch over” or “to maintain.”

In everyday French, garder 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. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb.

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

  1. J’avais gardé mes clés dans ma poche. (I had kept my keys in my pocket.)

  2. Elle avait gardé son calme malgré la situation stressante. (She had kept her calm despite the stressful situation.)

  3. Nous avions gardé contact depuis notre enfance. (We had kept in touch since our childhood.)

In these examples, garder is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action. In the first sentence, the person had kept their keys in their pocket before a specific moment in the past. In the second sentence, the person had kept their calm before the stressful situation. In the third sentence, the people had kept in touch before the present moment.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais gardé J’avais gardé mon livre. I had kept my book.
tu tu avais gardé Tu avais gardé ton parapluie. You had kept your umbrella.
il il avait gardé Il avait gardé sa clé. He had kept his key.
elle elle avait gardé Elle avait gardé son chien. She had kept her dog.
on on avait gardé On avait gardé le secret. One had kept the secret.
nous nous avions gardé Nous avions gardé nos souvenirs. We had kept our memories.
vous vous aviez gardé Vous aviez gardé le silence. You had kept silent.
ils ils avaient gardé Ils avaient gardé leur promesse. They had kept their promise.
elles elles avaient gardé Elles avaient gardé leur travail. They had kept their work.

Other Conjugations for Garder.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb garder
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the garder Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts