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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb jurer

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The English translation of the French verb jurer is “to swear.” The infinitive form of jurer is pronounced “zhoo-ray.”

The word jurer comes from the Latin word “jurare,” meaning “to swear” or “to take an oath.” In everyday French, jurer is often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to talk about actions that were completed before another action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of jurer in the Plus-que-parfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. J’avais juré de ne plus jamais fumer, mais j’ai craqué hier soir. (I had sworn to never smoke again, but I caved in last night.)

  2. Elle m’avait juré qu’elle m’aimait, mais elle m’a quitté pour un autre. (She had sworn to me that she loved me, but she left me for someone else.)

  3. Nous avions juré de garder le secret, mais nous avons fini par tout révéler. (We had sworn to keep the secret, but we ended up revealing everything.)

In all of these examples, the verb jurer is used to express a strong promise or commitment that was made in the past. It is often used in a serious or dramatic context.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais juré J’avais juré de ne pas mentir. I had sworn not to lie.
tu tu avais juré Tu avais juré de garder le secret. You had sworn to keep the secret.
il il avait juré Il avait juré de tout faire pour réussir. He had sworn to do everything to succeed.
elle elle avait juré Elle avait juré de ne pas pleurer. She had sworn not to cry.
on on avait juré On avait juré de ne pas le répéter. One had sworn not to repeat it.
nous nous avions juré Nous avions juré de nous aimer pour toujours. We had sworn to love each other forever.
vous vous aviez juré Vous aviez juré de nous protéger. You had sworn to protect us.
ils ils avaient juré Ils avaient juré de venger leur ami. They had sworn to avenge their friend.
elles elles avaient juré Elles avaient juré de ne pas trahir leur serment. They had sworn not to betray their oath.

Other Conjugations for Jurer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb jurer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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