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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb longer

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of longer. 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 longer is “to lengthen” or “to make longer”. The infinitive form of longer is pronounced as “loh-nzhay” in French.

The word longer originated from the Latin verb longare, which means “to lengthen”. It entered the French language in the 12th century and has been used in various forms and tenses since then.

In everyday French, longer is most commonly used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which corresponds to the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that happened before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of longer used in the Plus-que-parfait tense with their English translations:

  1. J’avais longé la rue avant que la pluie ne commence. (I had walked along the street before the rain started.)
  2. Tu avais longé la plage avant que les touristes n’arrivent. (You had walked along the beach before the tourists arrived.)
  3. Il avait longé la rivière avant que le soleil ne se couche. (He had walked along the river before the sun set.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais allongé J’avais allongé le voyage. I had extended the trip.
tu tu avais allongé Tu avais allongé le trajet. You had extended the journey.
il il avait allongé Il avait allongé le discours. He had lengthened the speech.
elle elle avait allongé Elle avait allongé la liste. She had extended the list.
on on avait allongé On avait allongé le temps. One had prolonged the time.
nous nous avions allongé Nous avions allongé la route. We had lengthened the road.
vous vous aviez allongé Vous aviez allongé la durée. You had lengthened the duration.
ils ils avaient allongé Ils avaient allongé le programme. They had extended the program.
elles elles avaient allongé Elles avaient allongé la pièce. They had lengthened the play.

Other Conjugations for Longer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb longer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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