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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cuivrer

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The English translation of the French verb cuivrer is “to copper.” It is pronounced as “kwee-vreh.”

Cuivrer comes from the Old French word “civre,” which means “copper.” It is most often used in everyday French to describe the action of covering or coating something with copper.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, cuivrer is used to talk about an action that had already been completed in the past before another action or event took place. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the imperfect tense followed by the past participle “cuivré.”

Here are three simple examples of cuivrer in the Plus-que-parfait tense and their English translations:

  1. J’avais cuivré le toit avant qu’il ne commence à pleuvoir.
  • I had coppered the roof before it started raining.
  1. Tu avais cuivré tous les ustensiles de cuisine avant de les utiliser.
  • You had coppered all the kitchen utensils before using them.
  1. Ils avaient cuivré les bijoux pour les rendre plus brillants avant de les vendre.
  • They had coppered the jewelry to make them shine before selling them.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais cuivré J’avais cuivré le vase. I had covered the vase with copper.
tu tu avais cuivré Tu avais cuivré la statue. You had covered the statue with copper.
il il avait cuivré Il avait cuivré la cloche. He had covered the bell with copper.
elle elle avait cuivré Elle avait cuivré la poêle. She had covered the frying pan with copper.
on on avait cuivré On avait cuivré le toit. One had covered the roof with copper.
nous nous avions cuivré Nous avions cuivré les bijoux. We had covered the jewelry with copper.
vous vous aviez cuivré Vous aviez cuivré la bouilloire. You had covered the kettle with copper.
ils ils avaient cuivré Ils avaient cuivré les tuyaux. They had covered the pipes with copper.
elles elles avaient cuivré Elles avaient cuivré le miroir. They had covered the mirror with copper.

Other Conjugations for Cuivrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cuivrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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