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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb manier

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The English translation of the French verb manier is “to handle” or “to manage.” The infinitive form of manier is pronounced “mah-nee-ay.”

The word manier comes from the Latin word “manus,” meaning “hand,” and originally referred to the way one handles or manages something with their hands. In modern French, it is most commonly used to refer to handling or managing something figuratively, such as a situation or a task.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, manier is used to indicate an action that had been completed before another past action. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. J’avais bien manié la situation avant que les choses ne se compliquent. (I had handled the situation well before things got complicated.)

  2. Ils avaient mal manié le projet, c’est pour cela qu’il a échoué. (They had poorly managed the project, which is why it failed.)

  3. J’avais toujours manié mes émotions avec soin, mais cette fois-ci, j’ai perdu mon sang-froid. (I had always handled my emotions carefully, but this time, I lost my cool.)

  4. I had handled the situation well before things got complicated.

  5. They had poorly managed the project, which is why it failed.

  6. I had always handled my emotions carefully, but this time, I lost my cool.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais manié J’avais manié le couteau. I had handled the knife.
tu tu avais manié Tu avais manié l’épée. You had handled the sword.
il il avait manié Il avait manié le marteau. He had handled the hammer.
elle elle avait manié Elle avait manié la pelle. She had handled the shovel.
on on avait manié On avait manié la hache. One had handled the axe.
nous nous avions manié Nous avions manié le balai. We had handled the broom.
vous vous aviez manié Vous aviez manié le râteau. You had handled the rake.
ils ils avaient manié Ils avaient manié le fusil. They had handled the rifle.
elles elles avaient manié Elles avaient manié le fléau. They had handled the flail.

Other Conjugations for Manier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb manier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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