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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb identifier

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of identifier. 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 identifier is “to identify.” It is pronounced as “ee-den-tee-fee-eh”.

The word “identifier” is derived from the Latin word “identificare” which means “to make identical.” It entered the French language in the 17th century and has been used in everyday language since then.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, identifier is most often used to describe an action that had been completed before a past event. It is also used to describe a hypothetical situation in the past.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais déjà identifié le suspect avant que la police ne l’arrête. (I had already identified the suspect before the police arrested him.)

  2. Elle était certaine d’avoir identifié le voleur lorsqu’elle a vu son visage à la télévision. (She was sure she had identified the thief when she saw his face on TV.)

  3. Nous aurions pu éviter cet accident si nous avions identifié le danger plus tôt. (We could have avoided this accident if we had identified the danger earlier.)

English translations:

  1. I had already identified the suspect before the police arrested him.

  2. She was sure she had identified the thief when she saw his face on TV.

  3. We could have avoided this accident if we had identified the danger earlier.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais identifié J’avais identifié le suspect. I had identified the suspect.
tu tu avais identifié Tu avais identifié le problème. You had identified the problem.
il il avait identifié Il avait identifié la cause. He had identified the cause.
elle elle avait identifié Elle avait identifié la solution. She had identified the solution.
on on avait identifié On avait identifié la source. One had identified the source.
nous nous avions identifié Nous avions identifié le coupable. We had identified the culprit.
vous vous aviez identifié Vous aviez identifié la réponse. You had identified the answer.
ils ils avaient identifié Ils avaient identifié le problème. They had identified the problem.
elles elles avaient identifié Elles avaient identifié la cause. They had identified the cause.

Other Conjugations for Identifier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb identifier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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