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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb parler

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The English translation of the French verb parler is “to speak” or “to talk”. It is pronounced as “par-lay”.

Parler comes from the Latin word “parabola”, which means “speech” or “conversation”. It entered the French language in the 12th century and has since become a fundamental verb in everyday French communication.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, parler is used to express an action that occurred before another past action. It is formed by using the imperfect tense of the auxiliary verb avoir or être, followed by the past participle of parler.

Here are three simple examples of how parler is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais parlé à mon frère avant qu’il ne parte en voyage. (I had spoken to my brother before he left on his trip.)
  2. Tu étais allé à la réunion avant que je ne te parle. (You had gone to the meeting before I spoke to you.)
  3. Elle avait chanté la chanson avant que les autres musiciens ne commencent à jouer. (She had sung the song before the other musicians started playing.)

In these examples, the Plus-que-parfait tense is used to indicate that the action of parler (speaking/talking) occurred before the other actions (partir/leave, parler/speak, commencer/start). This tense is often used in storytelling or recounting past events.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais parlé J’avais parlé avec mon ami. I had spoken with my friend.
tu tu avais parlé Tu avais parlé avec tes parents. You had spoken with your parents.
il il avait parlé Il avait parlé français. He had spoken French.
elle elle avait parlé Elle avait parlé avec sa sœur. She had spoken with her sister.
on on avait parlé On avait parlé de voyage. One had spoken about travel.
nous nous avions parlé Nous avions parlé de nos projets. We had spoken about our plans.
vous vous aviez parlé Vous aviez parlé au téléphone. You had spoken on the phone.
ils ils avaient parlé Ils avaient parlé de la météo. They had spoken about the weather.
elles elles avaient parlé Elles avaient parlé de leur travail. They had spoken about their work.

Other Conjugations for Parler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb parler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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