5.2.5

Pluperfect Tense - Être IR & RE

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Regular IR Verbs in the Pluperfect Tense

In French, the same verbs that use 'être' in the perfect tense, also use it in the pluperfect tense. Here are the IR verbs that have a regular past participle:

Illustrative background for Sortir - to go outIllustrative background for Sortir - to go out ?? "content

Sortir - to go out

  • J'étais sorti(e) - I had gone out.
  • Tu étais sorti(e) - you (singular) had gone out.
  • Il/elle/on était sorti(e) - he/she/one had gone out.
  • Nous étions sorti(e)s - we had gone out.
  • Vous étiez sorti(e)(s) - you (plural/formal) had gone out.
  • Ils/elles étaient sorti(e)s - they had gone out.
Illustrative background for Partir - to leaveIllustrative background for Partir - to leave ?? "content

Partir - to leave

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

Regular RE Verbs in the Pluperfect Tense

In French, the verbs that use 'être' in the perfect tense also use 'être' in the pluperfect tense. Here is the RE verb 'descendre' (to go down), which has a regular past participle:

Illustrative background for Tu =étais= descend=u(e)= - you had gone downIllustrative background for Tu =étais= descend=u(e)= - you had gone down ?? "content

Tu étais descendu(e) - you had gone down

  • 'Tu' means 'you' (singular).
Illustrative background for Vous =étiez= descend=u(e)(s)= -  you had gone downIllustrative background for Vous =étiez= descend=u(e)(s)= -  you had gone down ?? "content

Vous étiez descendu(e)(s) - you had gone down

  • 'Vous' means:
    • You (plural).
    • You (singular, formal).

Jump to other topics

1Identity & Culture

2Areas of Interest

3Study & Employment

4Common Tenses

4.1Present Tense

4.2Perfect Tense

4.3Imperfect Tense

4.4Imperfect vs Perfect

4.5Future Tense

5Advanced Tenses

6Extra Grammar

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