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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb marner

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of marner. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb marner is “to work hard” or “to toil.” It is pronounced as “mar-nay.”

The word “marner” comes from the Old French word “marne,” which means “to work hard” or “toil.” It is most commonly used in everyday French in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, marner is used to talk about an action that was completed before another past action. For example:

  1. J’avais marné toute la journée avant de rentrer à la maison. (I had worked hard all day before coming home.)

  2. Tu avais marné pendant des heures avant que le patron te donne une pause. (You had toiled for hours before the boss gave you a break.)

  3. Il avait marné toute sa vie pour réussir dans son entreprise. (He had worked hard all his life to succeed in his business.)

In all of these examples, the verb marner is conjugated in the Plus-que-parfait tense to match the subject (j’avais, tu avais, il avait) and is followed by the past participle of the main verb (mar-né). The English translations also use the past perfect tense to show that the action of marner was completed before another past action.

Overall, marner is a common verb in French that is used to express the idea of working hard or toiling, and it is often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to talk about completed actions in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais marné J’avais marné toute la journée. I had worked hard all day.
tu tu avais marné Tu avais marné pour réussir. You had worked hard to succeed.
il il avait marné Il avait marné pour gagner sa vie. He had worked hard to earn a living.
elle elle avait marné Elle avait marné pour obtenir une promotion. She had worked hard to get a promotion.
on on avait marné On avait marné pour nourrir sa famille. One had worked hard to feed their family.
nous nous avions marné Nous avions marné pour réussir nos projets. We had worked hard to achieve our goals.
vous vous aviez marné Vous aviez marné pour réaliser vos rêves. You had worked hard to fulfill your dreams.
ils ils avaient marné Ils avaient marné pour bâtir leur empire. They had worked hard to build their empire.
elles elles avaient marné Elles avaient marné pour se faire respecter. They had worked hard to earn respect.

Other Conjugations for Marner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb marner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the marner Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts