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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb montrer

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The English translation of montrer is “to show” or “to display.” It is pronounced as “mohn-tray.”

The verb montrer is derived from the Old French word “moster,” which comes from the Latin word “monstrare,” meaning “to show.” In everyday French, montrer is used to indicate the act of physically displaying something or to indicate the act of presenting or revealing something. In the Plus-que-parfait tense, montrer is used to describe an action that had already been completed in the past.

Examples of montrer in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais montré les photos de mes vacances à mes amis avant qu’ils ne partent en voyage. (I had shown my vacation photos to my friends before they left on their trip.)
  2. Elle avait montré beaucoup d’intérêt pour le sujet lors de la réunion précédente. (She had shown a lot of interest in the topic during the previous meeting.)
  3. Nous avions montré notre soutien aux manifestants avant qu’ils ne soient dispersés par la police. (We had shown our support to the protesters before they were dispersed by the police.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais montré J’avais montré mes photos. I had shown my photos.
tu tu avais montré Tu avais montré ta nouvelle voiture. You had shown your new car.
il il avait montré Il avait montré le chemin. He had shown the way.
elle elle avait montré Elle avait montré ses talents. She had shown her talents.
on on avait montré On avait montré nos projets. One had shown our projects.
nous nous avions montré Nous avions montré notre soutien. We had shown our support.
vous vous aviez montré Vous aviez montré votre appréciation. You had shown your appreciation.
ils ils avaient montré Ils avaient montré leurs réalisations. They had shown their achievements.
elles elles avaient montré Elles avaient montré leurs compétences. They had shown their skills.

Other Conjugations for Montrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb montrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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