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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb motiver

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of motiver. 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 motiver is “to motivate.” It is pronounced “moh-tee-vay” in the infinitive form.

The word motiver originated from the Latin verb “motivare,” which means “to move” or “to stir up.” It entered the French language in the 17th century and has since been used to describe the act of inspiring or encouraging someone to take action.

In everyday French, motiver is most commonly used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is used to express an action that was completed in the past before another past action. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the imperfect tense followed by the past participle of motiver, which is “motivé.”

Example 1:
J’avais motivé mes élèves avant l’examen.
I had motivated my students before the exam.

Example 2:
Elle m’avait motivé à poursuivre mes rêves.
She had motivated me to pursue my dreams.

Example 3:
Nous avions motivé nos amis à participer à la course.
We had motivated our friends to participate in the race.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais motivé J’avais motivé mes collègues. I had motivated my colleagues.
tu tu avais motivé Tu avais motivé ton équipe. You had motivated your team.
il il avait motivé Il avait motivé l’équipe adverse. He had motivated the opposing team.
elle elle avait motivé Elle avait motivé ses élèves. She had motivated her students.
on on avait motivé On avait motivé les employés. One had motivated the employees.
nous nous avions motivé Nous avions motivé nos amis. We had motivated our friends.
vous vous aviez motivé Vous aviez motivé les clients. You had motivated the clients.
ils ils avaient motivé Ils avaient motivé leurs enfants. They had motivated their children.
elles elles avaient motivé Elles avaient motivé leurs élèves. They had motivated their students.

Other Conjugations for Motiver.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb motiver
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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 motiver Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts