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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb luncher

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The English translation of the French verb luncher is “to have lunch.” It is pronounced as “loon-shay” in its infinitive form.

The origin of the verb luncher can be traced back to the Old French word “luncher,” meaning “to drink” or “to satisfy one’s thirst.” Over time, the meaning evolved to refer specifically to eating a midday meal.

In everyday French, luncher is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to describe an action that had already been completed before another past action.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. J’avais lunché avant de partir au travail. (I had had lunch before leaving for work.)

  2. Nous avions lunché ensemble hier. (We had lunch together yesterday.)

  3. Elle avait lunché avec ses amis avant de se rendre à la réunion. (She had had lunch with her friends before attending the meeting.)

In these examples, the verb luncher is used to describe an action that occurred in the past, before another action took place.

Overall, luncher is a commonly used verb in everyday French, especially when talking about daily routines and meals. It is also used in other tenses, such as the present tense (luncher – to have lunch) and the future tense (luncherai – I will have lunch).

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais lunché J’avais lunché avec mes amis. I had had lunch with my friends.
tu tu avais lunché Tu avais lunché au restaurant. You had had lunch at the restaurant.
il il avait lunché Il avait lunché avec ses collègues. He had had lunch with his colleagues.
elle elle avait lunché Elle avait lunché avec sa famille. She had had lunch with her family.
on on avait lunché On avait lunché à la cafétéria. One had had lunch at the cafeteria.
nous nous avions lunché Nous avions lunché ensemble. We had had lunch together.
vous vous aviez lunché Vous aviez lunché chez vous. You had had lunch at your place.
ils ils avaient lunché Ils avaient lunché au parc. They had had lunch at the park.
elles elles avaient lunché Elles avaient lunché dans un café. They had had lunch at a café.

Other Conjugations for Luncher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb luncher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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