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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb investiguer

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The English translation of the French verb investiguer is “to investigate.” In its infinitive form, it is pronounced as “ahn-vess-tee-guh-eh.”

Investiguer comes from the Latin word “investigare,” meaning “to search into.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense used to express actions that were completed before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Plus-que-parfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais investigué le crime avant que la police n’arrive. (I had investigated the crime before the police arrived.)

  2. Tu avais investigué cette affaire depuis des mois avant qu’elle ne soit résolue. (You had been investigating this case for months before it was solved.)

  3. Ils avaient investigué toutes les pistes possibles avant de conclure que c’était un accident. (They had investigated all possible leads before concluding it was an accident.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais investigué J’avais investigué ce crime. I had investigated this crime.
tu tu avais investigué Tu avais investigué cette affaire. You had investigated this case.
il il avait investigué Il avait investigué l’incident. He had investigated the incident.
elle elle avait investigué Elle avait investigué la disparition. She had investigated the disappearance.
on on avait investigué On avait investigué le vol. One had investigated the theft.
nous nous avions investigué Nous avions investigué cette histoire. We had investigated this story.
vous vous aviez investigué Vous aviez investigué le meurtre. You had investigated the murder.
ils ils avaient investigué Ils avaient investigué les soupçons. They had investigated the suspicions.
elles elles avaient investigué Elles avaient investigué cette affaire. They had investigated this case.

Other Conjugations for Investiguer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb investiguer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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