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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb lutter

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The English translation of the French verb lutter is “to struggle” or “to fight.” It is pronounced as “lew-tay” in its infinitive form.

The language origin of lutter can be traced back to the Latin word “luctari,” which means “to fight” or “to wrestle.” In everyday French, it is most commonly used as a transitive verb, meaning it requires a direct object to complete its meaning. In the Plus-que-parfait tense, it is used to describe an action that had already been completed in the past before another action took place.

Here are three simple examples of lutter in the Plus-que-parfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. J’avais lutté toute la nuit contre la fièvre avant de pouvoir enfin m’endormir. (I had struggled all night against the fever before finally being able to fall asleep.)
  2. Ils avaient lutté pendant des années pour maintenir leur entreprise à flot avant de devoir la fermer. (They had fought for years to keep their company afloat before having to close it.)
  3. Elle avait lutté contre sa timidité avant de pouvoir enfin prendre la parole en public. (She had battled against her shyness before finally being able to speak in public.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais lutté J’avais lutté contre la maladie. I had fought against the illness.
tu tu avais lutté Tu avais lutté contre l’oppression. You had fought against oppression.
il/elle il/elle avait lutté Il/Elle avait lutté pour ses droits. He/She had fought for their rights.
on on avait lutté On avait lutté contre la discrimination. One had fought against discrimination.
nous nous avions lutté Nous avions lutté pour la paix. We had fought for peace.
vous vous aviez lutté Vous aviez lutté pour la liberté. You had fought for freedom.
ils ils avaient lutté Ils avaient lutté contre l’injustice. They had fought against injustice.
elles elles avaient lutté Elles avaient lutté pour l’égalité. They had fought for equality.

Other Conjugations for Lutter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb lutter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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