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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb licher

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The English translation of the French verb “licher” is “to lick.” It is pronounced as “lee-shay” in the infinitive form.

The language origin of “licher” can be traced back to the Old French word “lichier,” which also means “to lick.” It ultimately comes from the Latin word “ligāre,” meaning “to lick.”

In everyday French, “licher” is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait (pluperfect) tense, which is used to express an action that occurred before another past action. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with their English translations:

1) J’avais léché le bol avant de le mettre dans le lave-vaisselle.
Translation: I had licked the bowl before putting it in the dishwasher.

2) Tu avais léché tous les bonbons avant que je ne revienne.
Translation: You had licked all the candies before I came back.

3) Ils avaient léché les assiettes propres avant de les ranger.
Translation: They had licked the clean plates before putting them away.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais léché J’avais léché la glace. I had licked the ice cream.
tu tu avais léché Tu avais léché la cuillère. You had licked the spoon.
il il avait léché Il avait léché la confiture. He had licked the jam.
elle elle avait léché Elle avait léché le miel. She had licked the honey.
on on avait léché On avait léché le chocolat. One had licked the chocolate.
nous nous avions léché Nous avions léché le sucre. We had licked the sugar.
vous vous aviez léché Vous aviez léché la crème. You had licked the cream.
ils ils avaient léché Ils avaient léché le gâteau. They had licked the cake.
elles elles avaient léché Elles avaient léché la glace. They had licked the ice cream.

Other Conjugations for Licher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb licher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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