Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb citer

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The English translation of the French verb citer is “to cite” or “to quote.” It is pronounced “see-tay.”

The word citer comes from the Latin word “citare,” meaning “to summon” or “to call upon.” It entered the French language in the 14th century and has been widely used since then.

In everyday French, citer is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past tense in the past. This tense is used to talk about an action that occurred before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of citer in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais cité cette phrase dans mon discours. (I had quoted this sentence in my speech.)
  2. Tu avais cité cet auteur dans ton essai. (You had cited this author in your essay.)
  3. Ils avaient cité plusieurs sources dans leur recherche. (They had cited several sources in their research.)

In each of these examples, the action of “citer” (to quote/cite) had already taken place before the other actions (making a speech, writing an essay, doing research). The Plus-que-parfait tense is often used in storytelling or recounting events that have already happened.

Table of the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of citer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais cité J’avais cité une phrase célèbre. I had quoted a famous phrase.
tu tu avais cité Tu avais cité l’article. You had quoted the article.
il il avait cité Il avait cité un poème. He had quoted a poem.
elle elle avait cité Elle avait cité une référence. She had quoted a reference.
on on avait cité On avait cité un auteur. One had quoted an author.
nous nous avions cité Nous avions cité un discours. We had quoted a speech.
vous vous aviez cité Vous aviez cité une thèse. You had quoted a thesis.
ils ils avaient cité Ils avaient cité un livre. They had quoted a book.
elles elles avaient cité Elles avaient cité une citation. They had quoted a quotation.

Other Conjugations for Citer.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb citer
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer
   

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer
   

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer
   

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer
   

    Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer     (this article)

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer
   

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer

    Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer
   

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer
   

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb citer

    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
   

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Citer – About the French Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense

The French “plus-que-parfait” tense is a past tense used to express actions or events that occurred before another past action or event. It is often translated to English as the “pluperfect” tense. The name “plus-que-parfait” literally means “more than perfect,” indicating that it is a tense used to describe actions that were completed before a specific point in the past.
NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Tense Formation

To form the plus-que-parfait tense, you typically use the auxiliary verb “avoir” (to have) or “être” (to be) in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb. Here are the conjugations for both auxiliary verbs:
1. With “avoir” as the auxiliary verb:
   – J’avais mangé (I had eaten)
   – Tu avais parlé (You had spoken)
   – Il/elle/on avait fini (He/She/One had finished)
   – Nous avions lu (We had read)
   – Vous aviez choisi (You had chosen)
   – Ils/elles avaient joué (They had played)
2. With “être” as the auxiliary verb (usually for intransitive verbs or verbs indicating a state):
   – J’étais parti(e) (I had left)
   – Tu étais arrivé(e) (You had arrived)
   – Il/elle/on était tombé(e) (He/She/One had fallen)
   – Nous étions resté(e)s (We had stayed)
   – Vous étiez né(e)(s) (You had been born)
   – Ils/elles étaient monté(e)s (They had gone up)

Common everyday usage patterns

Sequencing of past events

The plus-que-parfait is used to express a past action that happened before another past action. For example, “J’avais mangé avant qu’il ne soit arrivé” (I had eaten before he arrived).

Background information

It is also used to provide background information or set the stage for a main past event. For instance, “Quand je suis arrivé, ils avaient déjà fini de manger” (When I arrived, they had already finished eating).

Hypothetical or reported speech

In indirect speech, the plus-que-parfait is used to report what someone had said or thought in the past. For example, “Il avait dit qu’il viendrait demain” (He had said that he would come tomorrow).

Interactions with other tenses

– The plus-que-parfait is often used in conjunction with the passé composé (simple past) to establish the sequence of past events. The passé composé describes the more recent action, while the plus-que-parfait describes the action that occurred earlier.
– It can also be used with the conditional mood to express a hypothetical past event, like “Si j’avais su, j’aurais agi différemment” (If I had known, I would have acted differently).
– When used in reported speech, it can be combined with the conditional mood or the imperfect subjunctive to reflect the original mood and tense of the reported statement.

Summary

The French plus-que-parfait tense is an essential part of the language for expressing past actions that occurred before other past actions, providing background information, and reporting past statements or thoughts. It is an integral component of constructing complex and accurate narratives in French.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb citer. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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