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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb magner

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The English translation of the French verb magner is “to handle” or “to deal with.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “ma-nyay.”

The word magner comes from the Latin word “magnus,” meaning “great” or “large.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait (pluperfect) tense, which is used to describe an action that occurred before another past action.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense would be:

  1. J’avais déjà mangé quand mes amis sont arrivés. (I had already eaten when my friends arrived.)
  2. Ils étaient fatigués car ils avaient beaucoup marché. (They were tired because they had walked a lot.)
  3. Elle avait bien magné son argent pour économiser assez pour ses vacances. (She had managed her money well to save enough for her vacation.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais mangé J’avais mangé un croissant. I had eaten a croissant.
tu tu avais mangé Tu avais mangé une pomme. You had eaten an apple.
il il avait mangé Il avait mangé un sandwich. He had eaten a sandwich.
elle elle avait mangé Elle avait mangé des pâtes. She had eaten pasta.
on on avait mangé On avait mangé un hamburger. One had eaten a hamburger.
nous nous avions mangé Nous avions mangé du riz. We had eaten rice.
vous vous aviez mangé Vous aviez mangé des légumes. You had eaten vegetables.
ils ils avaient mangé Ils avaient mangé un steak. They had eaten a steak.
elles elles avaient mangé Elles avaient mangé un poisson. They had eaten fish.

Other Conjugations for Magner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb magner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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