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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb lénifier

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The English translation of the French verb lénifier is “to soften” or “to alleviate”. The infinitive form is pronounced “len-ee-fee-ay”.

The word “lénifier” comes from the Latin verb “lenire”, meaning “to soften”. It entered the French language in the 16th century. In everyday French, it is most commonly used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to express an action that was completed before another past action.

Here are three examples of how lénifier can be used in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais beaucoup de douleur à mon dos, mais heureusement, le massage l’avait lénifié. (I had a lot of pain in my back, but luckily the massage had alleviated it.)

  2. Quand elle était en colère, je lui lisais un livre pour la lénifier. (When she was angry, I would read her a book to calm her down.)

  3. Ils avaient lénifié les règles du jeu pour que les enfants puissent participer. (They had softened the rules of the game so that the children could participate.)

In these examples, we can see how lénifier is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action. It is often used to talk about physical or emotional relief, but can also be used in a more figurative sense.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais lénifié J’avais lénifié le texte. I had lenified the text.
tu tu avais lénifié Tu avais lénifié la phrase. You had lenified the sentence.
il il avait lénifié Il avait lénifié le discours. He had lenified the speech.
elle elle avait lénifié Elle avait lénifié la voix. She had softened her voice.
on on avait lénifié On avait lénifié la langue. One had softened the language.
nous nous avions lénifié Nous avions lénifié le ton. We had softened the tone.
vous vous aviez lénifié Vous aviez lénifié le mot. You had softened the word.
ils ils avaient lénifié Ils avaient lénifié le style. They had softened the style.
elles elles avaient lénifié Elles avaient lénifié l’atmosphère. They had softened the atmosphere.

Other Conjugations for Lénifier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb lénifier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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