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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb primer

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The English translation of the French verb “primer” is “to prime,” and it is pronounced as “pree-may.”

The word “primer” comes from the Latin word “primus,” meaning “first,” and was originally used to describe a small book that contained basic information or instruction. In everyday French, “primer” is most often used in its infinitive form as a verb, meaning “to prepare” or “to get ready.”

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, “primer” is used to describe an action that had already been completed in the past before another action occurred. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with the respective English translations:

  1. J’avais primé la journée avant de partir en vacances. (I had prepared the day before leaving for vacation.)
  2. Vous aviez primé les ingrédients pour le gâteau avant mon arrivée. (You had prepared the ingredients for the cake before I arrived.)
  3. Ils avaient primé leur discours avant la réunion. (They had prepared their speech before the meeting.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais primé J’avais primé mon travail. I had primed my work.
tu tu avais primé Tu avais primé tes cartes. You had primed your cards.
il il avait primé Il avait primé sa voiture. He had primed his car.
elle elle avait primé Elle avait primé ses chaussures. She had primed her shoes.
on on avait primé On avait primé le mur. One had primed the wall.
nous nous avions primé Nous avions primé les légumes. We had primed the vegetables.
vous vous aviez primé Vous aviez primé la porte. You had primed the door.
ils ils avaient primé Ils avaient primé les meubles. They had primed the furniture.
elles elles avaient primé Elles avaient primé les outils. They had primed the tools.

Other Conjugations for Primer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb primer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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