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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb mariner

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The English translation of the French verb mariner is “to navigate” or “to sail.” It is pronounced as “mah-ree-nay.”

The origin of the word “mariner” comes from the Latin word “marinus,” which means “of the sea.” In everyday French, the verb mariner is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to indicate an action that had been completed in the past before another action happened. In this tense, the verb is conjugated with the auxiliary verb “avoir” and the past participle form of “mariner,” which is “mariné.”

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

  1. J’avais mariné pendant des heures avant que le vent se soit levé. (I had sailed for hours before the wind picked up.)
  2. Nous avions mariné dans les eaux calmes avant de rejoindre le port. (We had navigated in calm waters before reaching the harbor.)
  3. Ils avaient mariné dans les mers du sud depuis deux semaines avant d’atteindre leur destination. (They had been sailing in the southern seas for two weeks before reaching their destination.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais mariné J’avais mariné le poisson. I had marinated the fish.
tu tu avais mariné Tu avais mariné les viandes. You had marinated the meats.
il il avait mariné Il avait mariné les légumes. He had marinated the vegetables.
elle elle avait mariné Elle avait mariné la viande. She had marinated the meat.
on on avait mariné On avait mariné les crevettes. One had marinated the shrimps.
nous nous avions mariné Nous avions mariné les brochettes. We had marinated the kebabs.
vous vous aviez mariné Vous aviez mariné les légumes. You had marinated the vegetables.
ils ils avaient mariné Ils avaient mariné le poulet. They had marinated the chicken.
elles elles avaient mariné Elles avaient mariné les gambas. They had marinated the prawns.

Other Conjugations for Mariner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb mariner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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