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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb lyrer

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The English translation of the French verb lyrer is “to lull” or “to soothe.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “lee-rer.”

The word “lyrer” comes from the Old French word “liurer,” which means “to deliver” or “to release.” Over time, the meaning of the word evolved to refer to the act of calming or soothing someone, often through music or words.

In everyday French, the verb lyrer is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to talk about an action that was completed before another action took place in the past.

Three simple examples of the usage of lyrer in the Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. J’avais lyré mon bébé avant qu’il s’endorme. (I had lulled my baby before he fell asleep.)

  2. Elle avait lyré son chéri avec une chanson douce. (She had soothed her sweetheart with a gentle song.)

  3. Nous avions lyré les enfants avec une histoire avant qu’ils ne fassent une sieste. (We had calmed the children with a story before they took a nap.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais lyé J’avais lyé le texte. I had underlined the text.
tu tu avais lyé Tu avais lyé la phrase. You had underlined the sentence.
il il avait lyé Il avait lyé le mot. He had underlined the word.
elle elle avait lyé Elle avait lyé la lettre. She had underlined the letter.
on on avait lyé On avait lyé le paragraphe. One had underlined the paragraph.
nous nous avions lyé Nous avions lyé le titre. We had underlined the title.
vous vous aviez lyé Vous aviez lyé la section. You had underlined the section.
ils ils avaient lyé Ils avaient lyé la photo. They had underlined the photo.
elles elles avaient lyé Elles avaient lyé le mot. They had underlined the word.

Other Conjugations for Lyrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb lyrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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