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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb narrer

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The English translation of the French verb narrer is “to narrate” or “to tell a story.” The infinitive form, narrer, is pronounced “nah-reh.”

The word narrer comes from the Latin verb narrare, which means “to relate” or “to tell.” It was first used in French around the 12th century. In everyday French, narrer is used in the past tense, particularly in the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense, to describe an action that had been completed before another past event.

Here are three simple examples of narrer in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais narré l’histoire avant que mes amis n’arrivent.
    (I had told the story before my friends arrived.)

  2. Tu avais narré cette anecdote plusieurs fois.
    (You had narrated this anecdote several times.)

  3. Ils avaient déjà narré leur aventure avant que je ne rentre chez moi.
    (They had already narrated their adventure before I came back home.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais narré J’avais narré mon histoire. I had narrated my story.
tu tu avais narré Tu avais narré ta version des faits. You had narrated your version of events.
il il avait narré Il avait narré l’histoire du vieux conteur. He had narrated the story of the old storyteller.
elle elle avait narré Elle avait narré son aventure. She had narrated her adventure.
on on avait narré On avait narré l’histoire du fantôme. One had narrated the story of the ghost.
nous nous avions narré Nous avions narré l’histoire de notre voyage. We had narrated the story of our journey.
vous vous aviez narré Vous aviez narré votre conte préféré. You had narrated your favorite tale.
ils ils avaient narré Ils avaient narré leur légende familiale. They had narrated their family legend.
elles elles avaient narré Elles avaient narré leur conte de fée. They had narrated their fairy tale.

Other Conjugations for Narrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb narrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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