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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb illuminer

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The English translation of the French verb illuminer is “to illuminate” or “to light up.” The infinitive form is pronounced “ee-loo-mee-nay.”

The word “illuminer” comes from the Latin word “illuminare,” meaning “to enlighten.” It was first used in Middle French in the 15th century and has been a part of everyday French vocabulary since then.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English, “illuminer” is used to talk about an action that was completed before another action in the past. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the imparfait tense, followed by the past participle of “illuminer.”

Here are three simple examples of how “illuminer” is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense in everyday French:

  1. J’avais illuminé la pièce avant que les invités arrivent. (I had lit up the room before the guests arrived.)

  2. Nous étions illuminés par les lumières de la ville lorsque nous sommes sortis du restaurant. (We were illuminated by the city lights when we left the restaurant.)

  3. Ils avaient illuminé le ciel avec des feux d’artifice pour célébrer le Nouvel An. (They had illuminated the sky with fireworks to celebrate New Year’s Eve.)

In all of these examples, the action of illuminating was completed before another action in the past (arriving, leaving, celebrating). “Illuminer” in the Plus-que-parfait tense is often used to describe the atmosphere or lighting of a place, as in the first and second example, but can also refer to the action of turning on lights, as in the third example.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais illuminé J’avais illuminé la pièce. I had lit up the room.
tu tu avais illuminé Tu avais illuminé la bougie. You had lit the candle.
il il avait illuminé Il avait illuminé le parc. He had illuminated the park.
elle elle avait illuminé Elle avait illuminé la scène. She had illuminated the stage.
on on avait illuminé On avait illuminé le ciel. One had illuminated the sky.
nous nous avions illuminé Nous avions illuminé le chemin. We had illuminated the path.
vous vous aviez illuminé Vous aviez illuminé la ville. You had illuminated the city.
ils ils avaient illuminé Ils avaient illuminé le stade. They had illuminated the stadium.
elles elles avaient illuminé Elles avaient illuminé la rue. They had illuminated the street.

Other Conjugations for Illuminer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb illuminer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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