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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb latter

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of latter. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb “latter” is “to choose”. It is pronounced “lah-teh”.

The word “latter” comes from the Old French verb “latrer” which means “to choose” or “to pick”. In everyday French, it is most 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 past action.

Here are three examples of “latter” used in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais choisi le rouge, mais finalement j’ai préféré le bleu.
    (I had chosen red, but in the end I preferred blue.)

  2. Elle avait choisi de partir à 8 heures, mais elle est partie à 9 heures.
    (She had chosen to leave at 8 o’clock, but she left at 9 o’clock.)

  3. Nous avions choisi un restaurant, mais il était complet, alors nous avons dû trouver un autre endroit pour dîner.
    (We had chosen a restaurant, but it was full, so we had to find another place to have dinner.)

These sentences show actions that were completed before another past action. In the first sentence, the choice of color was made before the final decision. In the second sentence, the decision to leave at a certain time was made before the actual departure time. And in the third sentence, the choice of restaurant was made before the realization that it was full and a new decision had to be made.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais parlé J’avais parlé avec elle. I had talked to her.
tu tu avais parlé Tu avais parlé à tes parents. You had talked to your parents.
il il avait parlé Il avait parlé à son ami. He had talked to his friend.
elle elle avait parlé Elle avait parlé avec sa sœur. She had talked to her sister.
on on avait parlé On avait parlé au professeur. One had talked to the teacher.
nous nous avions parlé Nous avions parlé de notre voyage. We had talked about our trip.
vous vous aviez parlé Vous aviez parlé de votre travail. You had talked about your job.
ils ils avaient parlé Ils avaient parlé de leur projet. They had talked about their project.
elles elles avaient parlé Elles avaient parlé de leur journée. They had talked about their day.

Other Conjugations for Latter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb latter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the latter Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts