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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb plonger

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The English translation of the French verb plonger is “to dive” or “to plunge.” Its infinitive form is pronounced “plon-zhay.”

The word plonger comes from the Old French word “plunger,” meaning “to plunge” or “to dive.” It can also be traced back to the Latin word “plumbum,” which means “lead.” In everyday French, plonger is most often used in its literal sense to describe physically diving or plunging into water. However, it can also be used figuratively to mean “to immerse oneself” in something, such as a task or activity.

Examples of plonger in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais plongé dans la piscine avant de te voir. (I had dove into the pool before seeing you.)

  2. Tu avais plongé ta main dans la boîte sans réfléchir. (You had plunged your hand into the box without thinking.)

  3. Les enfants avaient plongé leur tête sous l’eau pendant plusieurs minutes. (The children had submerged their heads under water for several minutes.)

  4. I had dove into the pool before seeing you.

  5. You had plunged your hand into the box without thinking.

  6. The children had submerged their heads under water for several minutes.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais plongé J’avais plongé dans la piscine. I had dived into the pool.
tu tu avais plongé Tu avais plongé dans l’océan. You had dived into the ocean.
il il avait plongé Il avait plongé dans le lac. He had dived into the lake.
elle elle avait plongé Elle avait plongé dans la rivière. She had dived into the river.
on on avait plongé On avait plongé dans la mer. One had dived into the sea.
nous nous avions plongé Nous avions plongé dans le fleuve. We had dived into the river.
vous vous aviez plongé Vous aviez plongé dans la piscine. You had dived into the pool.
ils ils avaient plongé Ils avaient plongé dans l’étang. They had dived into the pond.
elles elles avaient plongé Elles avaient plongé dans le lac. They had dived into the lake.

Other Conjugations for Plonger.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb plonger
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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