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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb lamenter

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The English translation of the French verb lamenter is “to lament” or “to mourn.” It is pronounced “lah-mon-tay.”

Lamenter comes from the Latin word lamentari, which means “to bewail” or “to mourn.” It entered the French language in the 12th century and has been used in its current form since the 15th century.

In everyday French, lamenter is often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to express regret or disappointment about something that happened in the past.

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

  1. J’avais lamenté mon choix de carrière avant de trouver ma passion. (I had regretted my career choice before finding my passion.)
  2. Tu avais lamenté le départ de ton ami avant de réaliser qu’il était mieux pour lui. (You had mourned your friend’s departure before realizing it was better for him.)
  3. Ils avaient lamenté la fin de leur relation mais ils étaient finalement heureux séparés. (They had lamented the end of their relationship but were ultimately happier apart.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je m’étais lamenté Je m’étais lamenté sur mon sort. I had lamented about my fate.
tu t’étais lamenté Tu t’étais lamenté sur la situation. You had lamented about the situation.
il s’était lamenté Il s’était lamenté sur sa perte. He had lamented about his loss.
elle s’était lamentée Elle s’était lamentée sur son échec. She had lamented about her failure.
on s’était lamenté On s’était lamenté sur la tristesse de la situation. One had lamented about the sadness of the situation.
nous nous étions lamentés Nous étions lamentés de ne pas pouvoir y assister. We had lamented not being able to attend.
vous vous étiez lamentés Vous étiez lamentés de la situation. You had lamented about the situation.
ils s’étaient lamentés Ils s’étaient lamentés sur leur sort. They had lamented about their fate.
elles s’étaient lamentées Elles s’étaient lamentées sur leur échec. They had lamented about their failure.

Other Conjugations for Lamenter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb lamenter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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