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

Introduction to the verb guider

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The English translation of the French verb guider is “to guide.” It is pronounced as “gee-der” in the infinitive form.

The word “guider” is derived from the Old French word “guier,” which comes from the Latin word “guidare,” meaning “to guide, direct, or govern.” It was first recorded in French in the 12th century.

In everyday French, the verb “guider” is most often used in the plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to express an action that took place before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of the usage of “guider” in the plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais guidé le groupe jusqu’au sommet de la montagne. (I had guided the group to the top of the mountain.)
  2. Tu avais guidé les enfants jusqu’à l’école hier matin. (You had guided the children to school yesterday morning.)
  3. Elle avait guidé son ami à travers la ville pour lui montrer les meilleurs endroits. (She had guided her friend through the city to show him the best places.)

In these examples, the verb “guider” is conjugated in the plus-que-parfait tense to match the subject and the past auxiliary verb “avoir” (had). The action of guiding takes place before another past action, indicated by the past participle of the verb that follows.

In English, the plus-que-parfait tense is equivalent to the past perfect tense. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “had” followed by the past participle of the main verb. For example, “I had guided” or “She had guided.”

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais guidé J’avais guidé le groupe. I had guided the group.
tu tu avais guidé Tu avais guidé les touristes. You had guided the tourists.
il il avait guidé Il avait guidé le chemin. He had guided the way.
elle elle avait guidé Elle avait guidé la visite. She had guided the tour.
on on avait guidé On avait guidé les voyageurs. One had guided the travelers.
nous nous avions guidé Nous avions guidé l’équipe. We had guided the team.
vous vous aviez guidé Vous aviez guidé les clients. You had guided the clients.
ils ils avaient guidé Ils avaient guidé les randonneurs. They had guided the hikers.
elles elles avaient guidé Elles avaient guidé les enfants. They had guided the children.

Other Conjugations for Guider.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb guider
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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