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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb orner

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of orner. 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 orner is “to decorate” or “to adorn.” It is pronounced “or-nay.”

The word orner comes from the Old French word “horne,” meaning “ornament” or “decoration.” It is most often used in everyday French to describe the action of adding decorative elements to something.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, orner is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais orné la maison avant l’arrivée des invités. (I had decorated the house before the arrival of the guests.)

  2. Tu avais orné tes cheveux avec des fleurs pour le mariage. (You had adorned your hair with flowers for the wedding.)

  3. Ils avaient orné la salle de réception avec des guirlandes et des ballons. (They had decorated the reception hall with garlands and balloons.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais orné J’avais orné la salle de fête. I had decorated the party room.
tu tu avais orné Tu avais orné la table. You had decorated the table.
il il avait orné Il avait orné le jardin. He had decorated the garden.
elle elle avait orné Elle avait orné la maison. She had decorated the house.
on on avait orné On avait orné le sapin de Noël. One had decorated the Christmas tree.
nous nous avions orné Nous avions orné le gâteau. We had decorated the cake.
vous vous aviez orné Vous aviez orné la salle à manger. You had decorated the dining room.
ils ils avaient orné Ils avaient orné la salle de réception. They had decorated the reception room.
elles elles avaient orné Elles avaient orné la chambre. They had decorated the bedroom.

Other Conjugations for Orner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb orner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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 orner Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts