Look at these reflexive verbs in Le Plus-que-Parfait:
Je m'étais trompé de date cette fois-là.
I'd got the date wrong that time.
Tu t'étais maquillée vite car nous étions en retard.
You had put your make-up on fast because we were late.
Marie s'était habillée dans le noir pour ne pas le réveiller ce jour-là.
Marie'd got dressed in the dark in order not to wake him that day.
Nous nous étions rappelés où c'était, mais c'était trop tard.
We had remembered where it was, but it was too late.
Vous vous étiez amusés cette nuit-là?
Had you had fun that night?
Les animaux s'étaient enfuis pendant la nuit !
The animals had escaped during the night!
Note that in Le Plus-que-Parfait, reflexive verbs use the auxiliary être.
The order is as follows:
reflexive pronoun (m'/t'/s'/nous/vous/s') + être in L'Imparfait + past participle
Note also that because of the auxiliary être, the past participle must agree with the subject of the verb.
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Je m'étais trompé de date cette fois-là.
I'd got the date wrong that time.
Les animaux s'étaient enfuis pendant la nuit !
The animals had escaped during the night!
Vous vous étiez amusés cette nuit-là?
Had you had fun that night?
Nous nous étions rappelés où c'était, mais c'était trop tard.
We had remembered where it was, but it was too late.
Tu t'étais maquillée vite car nous étions en retard.
You had put your make-up on fast because we were late.
Marie s'était habillée dans le noir pour ne pas le réveiller ce jour-là.
Marie'd got dressed in the dark in order not to wake him that day.
Q&A Forum 4 questions, 7 answers
why is you had gone to bed vous étiez couchés when it is reflexive?
Hi Jacqui,
The verb in 'Vous étiez couchés.' is not reflexive but the verb coucher in the passive voice: 'Etre couché' = to be in bed.
You can 'coucher un bébé' (put a baby to bed) - active voice
It is the same for 'être allongé' (to be lying down),
'être debout' (to be up/ standing up),
'être assis' ( to be sat) etc....which all describe a state of being.
I believe it is the same in English ?
If you say 'vous vous êtes couchés' (you went to bed) you will use the reflexive 'se coucher' for the action of going to bed.
Hope this helps!
Hi Jacqui,
it should be vous vous étiez couchés.
Subject + reflexive pronoun + form of être + participle.
-- Chris (not a native speaker).
why is you had gone to bed vous étiez couchés when it is reflexive?
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Bonjour Steven !
This was a bad audio file, as indeed you would never pronounced the "s" in "fois", nor the "t" in "nuit" !
Thank you for letting us know, I've now fixed the sounds files :)
Merci et bonne journée !
Why are the 's' in "cette fois-là" and the 't' in "cette nuit-là" pronounced?
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Aurélie, this is indeed frustrating. Practically everybody has a problem posting questions here. Only the message title is showing which makes it guesswork to figure out what people have been asking. And it must be frustrating for people typing in their question only to have it disappear on them.
I have brought this to the attention of Rowan at least twice. This has been going on for months! I sincerely hope this can be fixed quickly.
-- Chris.
Bonjour Chris !
We released a new update on the site yesterday, which fixes these issues with the Q&A :)
Please let us know if you encounter further problems :)
Bonne journée !
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Why is the "s" pronounced?
Hi Kristin,
I have listened to the recording and the 's' of 'fois' is not pronounced.
In fact I cannot think of a case when it would be ...
Hope this helps!
Why is the "s" pronounced?
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