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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb coter

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The English translation of the French verb coter is “to cost”. It is pronounced as “koh-tay”.

The word “coter” comes from the Latin word “costare” meaning “to cost”. It is primarily used in everyday French to indicate the price or cost of something.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, coter is used to describe an action that had already been completed in the past. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the imperfect tense followed by the past participle of coter, which is “coûté”.

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

  1. J’avais déjà dépensé tout mon argent lorsque j’ai vu le prix de la robe. Elle avait coûté une fortune. (I had already spent all my money when I saw the price of the dress. It had cost a fortune.)

  2. Nous avions économisé pendant des mois pour nos vacances. Finalement, le vol avait coûté beaucoup moins cher que prévu. (We had saved for months for our vacation. Eventually, the flight had cost much less than expected.)

  3. Il avait acheté un tableau de Picasso lors d’une vente aux enchères. Cela lui avait coûté une petite fortune. (He had bought a Picasso painting at an auction. It had cost him a small fortune.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais coté J’avais coté 100 euros. I had priced it at 100 euros.
tu tu avais coté Tu avais coté 50 euros. You had priced it at 50 euros.
il il avait coté Il avait coté 75 euros. He had priced it at 75 euros.
elle elle avait coté Elle avait coté 60 euros. She had priced it at 60 euros.
on on avait coté On avait coté 80 euros. One had priced it at 80 euros.
nous nous avions coté Nous avions coté 200 euros. We had priced it at 200 euros.
vous vous aviez coté Vous aviez coté 120 euros. You had priced it at 120 euros.
ils ils avaient coté Ils avaient coté 150 euros. They had priced it at 150 euros.
elles elles avaient coté Elles avaient coté 90 euros. They had priced it at 90 euros.

Other Conjugations for Coter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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