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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb plancher

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The English translation of the French verb plancher is “to work hard” or “to struggle.” It is pronounced as “plahn-shay.”

The word plancher comes from the Latin word “plancus” which means “flat surface.” In everyday French, plancher is most commonly used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. J’avais planché toute la nuit pour mon examen. (I had worked/studied all night for my exam.)
  2. Ils avaient planché sur ce projet depuis des mois avant de le présenter. (They had been working on this project for months before presenting it.)
  3. Tu avais bien planché sur ce sujet lors de ta présentation. (You had worked hard on this topic during your presentation.)

These sentences show that plancher is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to indicate an action that had been completed before another action or event in the past. In English, the past perfect tense is formed with the auxiliary verb “had” and the past participle of the main verb. In French, the Plus-que-parfait tense is formed with the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Overall, plancher is a versatile verb that can be used in various tenses and contexts to express the idea of working hard or struggling towards a goal. It is a common verb used in everyday French and is essential to know for anyone learning the language.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais planché J’avais planché sur le projet toute la nuit. I had worked on the project all night.
tu tu avais planché Tu avais planché pendant des heures. You had worked for hours.
il il avait planché Il avait planché sur le problème pendant des jours. He had worked on the problem for days.
elle elle avait planché Elle avait planché sur son exposé toute la journée. She had worked on her presentation all day.
on on avait planché On avait planché sur la solution ensemble. One had worked on the solution together.
nous nous avions planché Nous avions planché sur notre projet de groupe. We had worked on our group project.
vous vous aviez planché Vous aviez planché sur votre mémoire. You had worked on your thesis.
ils ils avaient planché Ils avaient planché sur le sujet jusque tard dans la nuit. They had worked on the subject late into the night.
elles elles avaient planché Elles avaient planché sur leur devoir ensemble. They had worked on their homework together.

Other Conjugations for Plancher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb plancher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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