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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb coltiner

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The English translation of the French verb coltiner is “to lug” or “to carry”. It is pronounced “kohl-tee-nay” in the infinitive form.

The word “coltiner” comes from the French word “coltin” which means a heavy burden or load. It is most commonly used in everyday French to describe carrying a heavy or cumbersome object.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, coltiner is used to describe an action that had been carried out in the past, before another past action.

Here are three examples of coltiner in the Plus-que-parfait tense with their English translations:

  1. J’avais coltiné mon sac à dos toute la journée avant de le poser enfin à l’hôtel. (I had been lugging my backpack all day before finally setting it down at the hotel.)

  2. Tu avais coltiné les valises jusqu’au sommet de la montagne avant de réaliser que tu avais oublié les tentes en bas. (You had been carrying the suitcases all the way up to the top of the mountain before realizing you had forgotten the tents down below.)

  3. Les ouvriers avaient coltiné les matériaux de construction toute la semaine avant que le chantier ne soit finalement terminé. (The workers had been hauling building materials all week before the construction site was finally finished.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais coltiné J’avais coltiné les lourds sacs. I had carried the heavy bags.
tu tu avais coltiné Tu avais coltiné la valise. You had lugged the suitcase.
il il avait coltiné Il avait coltiné les provisions. He had schlepped the groceries.
elle elle avait coltiné Elle avait coltiné les bouteilles. She had carted the bottles.
on on avait coltiné On avait coltiné les meubles. One had hauled the furniture.
nous nous avions coltiné Nous avions coltiné les sacs de sable. We had hauled the sandbags.
vous vous aviez coltiné Vous aviez coltiné les cartons. You had carried the boxes.
ils ils avaient coltiné Ils avaient coltiné les bagages. They had carried the luggage.
elles elles avaient coltiné Elles avaient coltiné les valises. They had lugged the suitcases.

Other Conjugations for Coltiner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coltiner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Coltiner – 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 coltiner. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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