French · Chapter 22 · Lesson 8 · Grammar primer
The pluperfect
The 'had done' tense: imperfect of avoir / etre + past participle (j'avais mange, elle etait partie), with the same auxiliary and agreement rules as the passe compose, for an action finished before another past action (quand il est arrive, elle etait deja partie).
The short version
It is the passé composé, one step back
Move the auxiliary into the imperfect and you have the pluperfect. J'ai mangé becomes j'avais mangé; elle est partie becomes elle était partie. The auxiliary choice and the agreement rules do not change at all, so there is no new list to learn, only a new slot to use it in.
Quand il est arrivé, elle était déjà partie.
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