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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cuber

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The English translation of the French verb cuber is “to cube.” The infinitive form is pronounced “kyoo-bey.”

The word “cuber” comes from the Latin word “cubare,” meaning “to lie down” or “to rest.” In French, it is primarily used to describe the action of cutting something into small, cube-shaped pieces.

In everyday French, the verb cuber is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action.

Examples:

  1. J’avais déjà cubé les légumes avant que tu ne rentres à la maison. (I had already cubed the vegetables before you came home.)
  2. Nous avions cubé le fromage avant que la soirée ne commence. (We had cubed the cheese before the party started.)
  3. Elle avait cubé la viande avant de la mettre dans la sauce. (She had cubed the meat before putting it in the sauce.)

In all three examples, the action of cubing was completed before another past action (arriving home, starting the party, and putting the meat in the sauce).

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais cubé J’avais cubé les légumes. I had cubed the vegetables.
tu tu avais cubé Tu avais cubé le fromage. You had cubed the cheese.
il il avait cubé Il avait cubé la viande. He had cubed the meat.
elle elle avait cubé Elle avait cubé les fruits. She had cubed the fruits.
on on avait cubé On avait cubé les carottes. One had cubed the carrots.
nous nous avions cubé Nous avions cubé les oignons. We had cubed the onions.
vous vous aviez cubé Vous aviez cubé le poivron. You had cubed the bell pepper.
ils ils avaient cubé Ils avaient cubé les légumineuses. They had cubed the legumes.
elles elles avaient cubé Elles avaient cubé les pommes de terre. They had cubed the potatoes.

Other Conjugations for Cuber.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cuber
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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