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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb lourer

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The English translation of the French verb lourer is “to lower” or “to bring down.” It is pronounced as “loo-rer” in its infinitive form.

The word “lourer” is derived from the Old French word “loirer,” which comes from the Latin word “lōwer” meaning “to bend” or “to bow.” In everyday French, the verb lourer is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English.

Here are 3 simple examples of lourer being used in the Plus-que-parfait tense in everyday French:

  1. J’avais louré le drapeau avant le début de la cérémonie. (I had lowered the flag before the start of the ceremony.)
  2. Tu avais louré tes attentes, il fallait être plus réaliste. (You had lowered your expectations, you had to be more realistic.)
  3. Ils avaient louré le prix de vente pour attirer les clients. (They had lowered the selling price to attract customers.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais loué J’avais loué une voiture. I had rented a car.
tu tu avais loué Tu avais loué une maison. You had rented a house.
il il avait loué Il avait loué un appartement. He had rented an apartment.
elle elle avait loué Elle avait loué une chambre d’hôtel. She had rented a hotel room.
on on avait loué On avait loué une voiture. One had rented a car.
nous nous avions loué Nous avions loué un chalet. We had rented a cabin.
vous vous aviez loué Vous aviez loué une villa. You had rented a villa.
ils ils avaient loué Ils avaient loué un bateau. They had rented a boat.
elles elles avaient loué Elles avaient loué un appartement. They had rented an apartment.

Other Conjugations for Lourer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb lourer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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