black friday cyber monday save 25% on all premium packages »

Conjugate reflexive verbs in the French pluperfect tense (Le Plus-que-Parfait)

Aurélie Drouard
2021-10-25
Add to Notebook22 questions

Learn how to conjugate reflexive verbs in Le Plus-que-Parfait in French

Je m'étais trompé de date cette fois-là.I'd gotten the date wrong that time.

Tu t'étais maquillée vite car nous étions en retard.You had put your makeup on fast because we were late.

Marie s'était habillée dans le noir pour ne pas le réveiller ce jour-là.Marie had gotten dressed in the dark not to wake him up that day.

Nous nous étions enfin rappelés où c'était, mais c'était trop tard.We'd finally 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!
 

In the French pluperfect tense (Le Plus-que-Parfait), reflexive verbs use être as an auxiliary verb, just like in other compound tenses such as the French conversational past (Le Passé Composé).

The order is as follows:

Reflexive pronoun (m'/t'/s'/nous/vous/s') + être in the imperfect (L'Imparfait) + [past participle]
Remember that because of the auxiliary être, the past participle must agree with the subject of the verb.

 

Want to make sure your French sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Braimap today »

Learn more about these related French grammar topics

Examples and resources

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!
Je m'étais trompé de date cette fois-là.I'd gotten the date wrong that time.
Tu t'étais maquillée vite car nous étions en retard.You had put your makeup on fast because we were late.
Nous nous étions enfin rappelés où c'était, mais c'était trop tard.We'd finally remembered where it was, but it was too late.
Marie s'était habillée dans le noir pour ne pas le réveiller ce jour-là.Marie had gotten dressed in the dark not to wake him up that day.
I'll be right with you...