11.8.2
Pluperfect - Regular ER Verbs with 'Être'
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Regular ER Verbs in the Pluperfect Tense
In French, there are 14 verbs that use 'être' to form the pluperfect tense. It's important to note that verbs that use 'être' agree with the person who is speaking and gender. The regular ER verbs that use 'être' are:

Monter - to go up, to climb
- J'étais monté(e) - I had gone up.
- Tu étais monté(e) - you (singular) had gone up.
- Il/elle/on était monté(e) - he/she/one had gone up.
- Nous étions monté(e)s - we had gone up.
- Vous étiez monté(e)(s) - you (plural/formal) had gone up.
- Ils/elles étaient monté(e)s - they had gone up.

Retourner - to return
- J'étais retourné(e) - I had returned.
- Tu étais retourné(e) - you (singular) had returned.
- Il/elle/on était retourné(e) - he/she/one had returned.
- Nous étions retourné(e)s - we had returned.
- Vous étiez retourné(e)(s) - you (plural/formal) had returned.
- Ils/elles étaient retourné(e)s - they had returned.

Arriver - to arrive
- J'étais arrivé(e) - I had arrived.
- Tu étais arrivé(e) - you (singular) had arrived.
- Il/elle était arrivé(e) - he/she/one had arrived.
- Nous étions arrivé(e)s - we had arrived.
- Vous étiez arrivé(e)(s) - you (plural/formal) had arrived.
- Ils/elles étaient arrivé(e)s - they had arrived.

Entrer - to enter
- J'étais entré(e) - I had entered.
- Tu étais entré(e) - you (singular) had entered.
- Il/elle était entré(e) - he/she/one had entered.
- Nous étions entré(e)s - we had entered.
- Vous étiez entré(e)(s) - you (plural/formal) had entered.
- Ils/elles étaient entré(e)s - they had entered.
More Regular ER Verbs in the Pluperfect Tense
In French, there are 14 verbs that use 'être' to form the pluperfect tense. It is important to note that verbs that use 'être' agree with the person who is speaking and gender. The regular ER verbs that use 'être' are:

Rester - to stay
- J'étais resté(e) - I had stayed.
- Tu étais resté(e) - you (singular) had stayed.
- Il/elle/on était resté(e) - he/she/one had stayed.
- Nous étions resté(e)s - we had stayed.
- Vous étiez resté(e)(s) - you (plural/formal) had stayed.
- Ils/elles étaient resté(e)s - they had stayed.

Tomber - to fall
- J'étais tombé(e) - I had fallen.
- Tu étais tombé(e) - you (singular) had fallen.
- Il/elle/on était tombé(e) - he/she/one had fallen.
- Nous étions tombé(e)s - we had fallen.
- Vous étiez tombé(e)(s) - you (plural/formal) had fallen.
- Ils/elles étaient tombé(e)s - they had fallen.

Rentrer - to go back, to return
- J'étais rentré(e) - I had gone back.
- Tu étais rentré(e) - you (singular) had gone back.
- Il/elle/on était rentré(e) - he/she/one had gone back.
- Nous étions rentré(e)s - we had gone back.
- Vous étiez rentré(e)(s) - you (plural/formal) had gone back.
- Ils/elles étaient rentré(e)s - they had went back.

Aller - to go
- J'étais allé(e) - I had gone.
- Tu étais allé(e) - you (singular) had gone.
- Il/elle/on était allé(e) - he/she/one had gone.
- Nous étions allé(e)s - we had gone.
- Vous étiez allé(e)(s) - you (plural/formal) had gone.
- Ils/elles étaient allé(e)s - they had gone.
1The Changing Nature of Family
1.1Soucis et problèmes de famille
1.2Monoparentalité, homoparentalité etc
2The 'cyber-society'
2.1Qui sont les cybernautes ?
2.2Comment la technologie facilite la vie quotidienne
3The Place of Voluntary Work
3.1Qui sont et que font les bénévoles ?
3.2La valeur du bénévolat
4Diverse Society
4.1L'enrichissement dû à la mixité
4.2Tolérance et respect
5The Marginalised
5.1Qui ils sont
5.2Comment aider
6How Criminals Are Treated
6.1Quelles attitudes envers la criminalité ?
6.2La prison – échec ou succès ?
7A Culture Proud of its Heritage
7.1Le patrimoine - national, régional et local
7.2Comment le patrimoine reflète la culture
7.3Le patrimoine et le tourisme
8Cinema: the 7th Art Form
8.1Pourquoi le septième art?
8.2Le cinéma - une passion nationale ?
9Demonstrations, strikes – who holds the power?
9.1Le pouvoir des syndicats
9.2Manifestations et grèves – sont-elles efficaces ?
10Politics & Immigration
10.1Politiques d'intégration et immigration
10.2L'immigration et les partis politiques
10.3L'engagement politique des immigrés
11Conjugation & Use of Tenses
11.1Present Tense
11.2Perfect Tense
11.3Imperfect Tense
11.4Future Tense
11.5Conditional Tense
11.6Future Perfect Tense
11.7Conditional Perfect Tense
12Extra Grammar
12.2Adjectives
12.3Numerals
12.4Adverbs
12.5Quantifiers & Intensifiers
12.6Pronouns
12.7Passive Voice
12.8Prepositions
12.9Conjunctions
12.10Negation
12.11Questions
Jump to other topics
1The Changing Nature of Family
1.1Soucis et problèmes de famille
1.2Monoparentalité, homoparentalité etc
2The 'cyber-society'
2.1Qui sont les cybernautes ?
2.2Comment la technologie facilite la vie quotidienne
3The Place of Voluntary Work
3.1Qui sont et que font les bénévoles ?
3.2La valeur du bénévolat
4Diverse Society
4.1L'enrichissement dû à la mixité
4.2Tolérance et respect
5The Marginalised
5.1Qui ils sont
5.2Comment aider
6How Criminals Are Treated
6.1Quelles attitudes envers la criminalité ?
6.2La prison – échec ou succès ?
7A Culture Proud of its Heritage
7.1Le patrimoine - national, régional et local
7.2Comment le patrimoine reflète la culture
7.3Le patrimoine et le tourisme
8Cinema: the 7th Art Form
8.1Pourquoi le septième art?
8.2Le cinéma - une passion nationale ?
9Demonstrations, strikes – who holds the power?
9.1Le pouvoir des syndicats
9.2Manifestations et grèves – sont-elles efficaces ?
10Politics & Immigration
10.1Politiques d'intégration et immigration
10.2L'immigration et les partis politiques
10.3L'engagement politique des immigrés
11Conjugation & Use of Tenses
11.1Present Tense
11.2Perfect Tense
11.3Imperfect Tense
11.4Future Tense
11.5Conditional Tense
11.6Future Perfect Tense
11.7Conditional Perfect Tense
12Extra Grammar
12.2Adjectives
12.3Numerals
12.4Adverbs
12.5Quantifiers & Intensifiers
12.6Pronouns
12.7Passive Voice
12.8Prepositions
12.9Conjunctions
12.10Negation
12.11Questions
Practice questions on Pluperfect - Regular ER Verbs with 'Être'
Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.
- 1How do you say 'she had returned' in French?Multiple choice
- 2Which one of these is NOT correct?Multiple choice
- 3How do you say 'I had stayed' in French?Multiple choice
- 4
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