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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb indigner

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The English translation of the French verb indigner is “to outrage” or “to anger.” The infinitive form, indigner, is pronounced “ahn-dee-nyeh.”

Indigner comes from the Latin word indignare, meaning “to be angry” or “to feel resentment.” It entered the French language in the 14th century.

In everyday French, indigner is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait (pluperfect) tense to talk about past actions or events that caused outrage or anger. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” conjugated in the imparfait (imperfect) tense, followed by the past participle of indigner.

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

  1. Les citoyens s’étaient indignés contre le gouvernement corrompu. (The citizens had been outraged by the corrupt government.)

  2. Nous avions été indignés par son manque de respect. (We had been angered by his lack of respect.)

  3. Elle s’était indignée à l’idée que ses droits aient été violés. (She had been outraged at the thought of her rights being violated.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je m’étais indigné(e) Je m’étais indigné(e) de leur comportement. I had been outraged by their behavior.
tu t’étais indigné(e) Tu t’étais indigné(e) de leur manque de respect. You had been outraged by their lack of respect.
il s’était indigné Il s’était indigné des propos de son collègue. He had been outraged by his colleague’s remarks.
elle s’était indignée Elle s’était indignée de leur attitude. She had been outraged by their attitude.
on s’était indigné(e) On s’était indigné(e) de leur insensibilité. One had been outraged by their insensitivity.
nous nous étions indigné(e)s Nous nous étions indigné(e)s de leur égoïsme. We had been outraged by their selfishness.
vous vous étiez indigné(e)s Vous vous étiez indigné(e)s de leur manque de considération. You had been outraged by their lack of consideration.
ils s’étaient indignés Ils s’étaient indignés de leur comportement. They had been outraged by their behavior.
elles s’étaient indignées Elles s’étaient indignées de leur manque de respect. They had been outraged by their lack of respect.

Other Conjugations for Indigner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb indigner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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