Thread: [French] Parlons-nous français?
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Old September 05, 2009, 02:22 PM
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Quote:
3. Je lui avais parlé.(plus-que-parfait- plusquamperfectum)

4. Je lui parlais. (imparfait)

What I would say is that the sentence "I had talked to him" seems for me as an action completed and nothing else happens.

3. "Plus-que-parfait" is used in some conditions :

- Action accomplished at a specific moment
ex. Le 20 janvier, j'avais terminé (p-q-p) mon travail

- An action which has been accomplished before an other action in the past
ex. Dès qu'il avait terminé (p-q-p) son travail, il partait (imparfait) se promener.

- When you ask a favor to somebody
ex. J'étais venu (p-q-p) vous demander un service.

- For an action which would have happen with a condition
ex. Si j'avais eu (p-q-p) de l'argent, je t'en aurais donné (conditionel passé).


4. "Je lui parlais" is more a continuous action (I was talking to him) also used if you have something else to add :

Je lui parlais quand maman est arrivée (I was talking to him when mom arrived).
Hier je lui parlais (yesterday I was talking to him)

"Je lui ai parlé" is an action completed, finished.


Hope I'm clear enough.
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