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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb contre-tirer

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The English translation of the French verb contre-tirer is “to counterfire.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “kohn-truh-tee-rey.”

The origin of the word contre-tirer can be traced back to the Latin word “contra” meaning “against” and the French word “tirer” meaning “to shoot.” In everyday French, contre-tirer is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense.

Examples:

  1. Il avait contre-tiré avant que je puisse le toucher. (He had counterfired before I could hit him.)
  2. Nous avions contre-tiré pour essayer de les arrêter. (We had counterfired to try to stop them.)
  3. Les soldats avaient contre-tiré à plusieurs reprises avant de se rendre. (The soldiers had counterfired several times before surrendering.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais contre-tiré J’avais contre-tiré deux fois. I had fired two shots.
tu tu avais contre-tiré Tu avais contre-tiré en direction de l’ennemi. You had fired towards the enemy.
il il avait contre-tiré Il avait contre-tiré avec précision. He had fired accurately.
elle elle avait contre-tiré Elle avait contre-tiré en réponse à l’attaque. She had fired in response to the attack.
on on avait contre-tiré On avait contre-tiré en étant bien couvert. One had fired while being well covered.
nous nous avions contre-tiré Nous avions contre-tiré en essayant de se protéger. We had fired while trying to protect ourselves.
vous vous aviez contre-tiré Vous aviez contre-tiré depuis votre position. You had fired from your position.
ils ils avaient contre-tiré Ils avaient contre-tiré en réplique à l’attaque. They had fired in retaliation to the attack.
elles elles avaient contre-tiré Elles avaient contre-tiré avec courage. They had fired with courage.

Other Conjugations for Contre-Tirer.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb contre-tirer
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-tirer
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-tirer
   

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-tirer
   

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-tirer
   

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-tirer
   

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

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-tirer

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-tirer

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-tirer

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-tirer
   

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-tirer

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

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-tirer
   

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-tirer

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-tirer

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb contre-tirer

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

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Contre-Tirer – 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.

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