Learn French: Elle a avoué qu'elle avait menti la veille. - She confessed that she had lied the day before.

Elle a avoué qu'elle avait menti la veille.

She confessed that she had lied the day before.

Breakdown of Elle a avoué qu'elle avait menti la veille.

the day before, the eve

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Questions & Answers about Elle a avoué qu'elle avait menti la veille.

Why does the sentence use la veille instead of hier?

When converting direct speech into reported speech in the past, time markers have to shift. If her original words were that she lied "yesterday" (hier), that word changes to la veille (the day before) to align with the past-tense perspective of the main verb (a avoué).

Why is the second verb in the plus-que-parfait (avait menti) rather than the passé composé (a menti)?

The plus-que-parfait (pluperfect) tense is used to describe an action that took place before another past action. Because the confession happened in the past (a avoué), the lying that occurred even earlier must be expressed with avait menti (had lied).

Why doesn't avouer que (to confess that) trigger the subjunctive here?

In the affirmative, verbs of declaration and certainty like avouer (to confess/admit) are followed by the indicative mood. They only trigger the subjunctive when used in the negative (e.g., Elle n'a pas avoué que...) or in inversion, because those forms introduce doubt or uncertainty.

Since the subject is elle, shouldn't the past participle be mentie?