Breakdown of Nous avions égaré la sauvegarde du document.
nous
we / us (object pronoun)
avoir
to have
de
of / from / any (in negative sentences) / about (concerning)
le document
the document
égarer
to misplace
la sauvegarde
the backup
Questions & Answers about Nous avions égaré la sauvegarde du document.
Why does this sentence use avions égaré instead of avons égaré?
Avions égaré is the plus-que-parfait (pluperfect) tense, which translates to "had misplaced". You form it by putting the helping verb (avoir or être) into the imparfait (imperfect) tense—in this case, nous avions—followed by the past participle (égaré). If it were avons égaré (passé composé), it would mean "have misplaced" or "misplaced".
How do I know whether to use avoir or être for the helping verb here?
The rule is exactly the same as for the passé composé. Since the verb égarer (to misplace) takes avoir in the passé composé (nous avons égaré), it also takes avoir in the plus-que-parfait (nous avions égaré). Only specific verbs of motion/state change (the "Dr. & Mrs. Vandertramp" verbs) and reflexive verbs use être.
I usually use perdu for "lost". How is égaré different?
Égaré comes from the verb égarer, which specifically means "to misplace". While perdre (past participle: perdu) means to lose something, égarer suggests you just don't know where you put it right now, but it is likely still around to be found.
Does sauvegarde always mean a computer "backup"?
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