Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
Introduction to the verb compter
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The English translation of the French verb compter is “to count”.
Pronunciation: [kɔ̃.te] -
Compter comes from the Latin verb computare, meaning “to calculate”. It entered the French language in the 12th century and has been used in various contexts, such as counting objects, keeping track of time, or considering something as a factor.
In everyday French, compter is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense (pluperfect). This tense is used to describe an action that had already been completed before another action in the past. It is formed with the imperfect tense of the auxiliary verb avoir or être and the past participle of the main verb.
Examples:
a) J’avais compté les pièces de monnaie avant de les mettre dans la tirelire.
(I had counted the coins before putting them in the piggy bank.)
b) Elle était déjà partie quand je me suis rendu compte que j’avais compté les invités deux fois.
(She had already left when I realized that I had counted the guests twice.)
c) Tu avais toujours compté sur moi pour t’aider, mais cette fois-ci j’étais malade.
(You had always counted on me to help you, but this time I was sick.)
English translations: a) had counted, b) had counted, c) had counted on.
In summary, compter is a versatile verb that can be used in many different situations, but in everyday French, it is often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to describe completed actions in the past.
Table of the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of compter
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | j’avais compté | J’avais compté mes économies. | I had counted my savings. |
tu | tu avais compté | Tu avais compté les jours. | You had counted the days. |
il | il avait compté | Il avait compté les pièces. | He had counted the coins. |
elle | elle avait compté | Elle avait compté les invités. | She had counted the guests. |
on | on avait compté | On avait compté les points. | One had counted the points. |
nous | nous avions compté | Nous avions compté les heures. | We had counted the hours. |
vous | vous aviez compté | Vous aviez compté les verres. | You had counted the glasses. |
ils | ils avaient compté | Ils avaient compté les billets. | They had counted the bills. |
elles | elles avaient compté | Elles avaient compté les cahiers. | They had counted the notebooks. |
Other Conjugations for Compter.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb compter
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter (this article)
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compter
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Compter – About the French Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense
Tense Formation
Common everyday usage patterns
Sequencing of past events
Background information
Hypothetical or reported speech
Interactions with other tenses
Summary
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