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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb opiner

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The English translation of the French verb opiner is “to opine” or “to express one’s opinion.” It is pronounced as “oh-pee-nay” in its infinitive form.

Opiner comes from the Latin word “opinari,” meaning “to think” or “to believe.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to express an action that was completed before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of opiner in the Plus-que-parfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais opiné que le film serait ennuyeux. (I had opined that the movie would be boring.)
  2. Ils avaient opiné en faveur d’une augmentation de salaire. (They had opined in favor of a salary increase.)
  3. Tu avais opiné sur ce sujet lors de la dernière réunion. (You had opined on this topic at the last meeting.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais opiné J’avais opiné pour la réforme. I had opined for the reform.
tu tu avais opiné Tu avais opiné pour la nouvelle loi. You had opined for the new law.
il il avait opiné Il avait opiné pour le changement. He had opined for the change.
elle elle avait opiné Elle avait opiné pour le projet. She had opined for the project.
on on avait opiné On avait opiné pour la solution. One had opined for the solution.
nous nous avions opiné Nous avions opiné pour la proposition. We had opined for the proposition.
vous vous aviez opiné Vous aviez opiné pour le compromis. You had opined for the compromise.
ils ils avaient opiné Ils avaient opiné pour l’accord. They had opined for the agreement.
elles elles avaient opiné Elles avaient opiné pour la décision. They had opined for the decision.

Other Conjugations for Opiner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb opiner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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