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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cureter

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The English translation of the French verb cureter is “to curette.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “kyoor-tay.”

The word cureter comes from the Latin word “curetta” meaning “scoop” or “spoon.” In French, it is often used in medical contexts, referring to the act of using a curette, a small surgical instrument, to remove tissue or foreign objects from a body cavity.

In everyday French, the verb cureter is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which indicates an action that took place before another past action. For example:

  1. J’avais déjà cureté la plaie avant que le médecin arrive. (I had already curetted the wound before the doctor arrived.)
  2. Elle avait cureté les oreilles de son fils avant de lui mettre des gouttes. (She had curetted her son’s ears before putting drops in them.)
  3. Nous avions cureté la cheminée pour enlever les débris avant de faire du feu. (We had curetted the chimney to remove debris before making a fire.)

In all these examples, the action of curetting took place before another past action (the doctor arriving, putting drops in the ears, and making a fire).

Overall, the verb cureter is most commonly used in medical and surgical contexts, but it can also be used in other situations where removal or cleaning is involved.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais cureté J’avais cureté la plaie. I had cleaned the wound.
tu tu avais cureté Tu avais cureté le sol. You had scraped the floor.
il il avait cureté Il avait cureté le canal. He had scraped the canal.
elle elle avait cureté Elle avait cureté le dentier. She had cleaned the dentures.
on on avait cureté On avait cureté la cheminée. One had cleaned the chimney.
nous nous avions cureté Nous avions cureté la plaie. We had cleaned the wound.
vous vous aviez cureté Vous aviez cureté le sol. You had scraped the floor.
ils ils avaient cureté Ils avaient cureté le canal. They had scraped the canal.
elles elles avaient cureté Elles avaient cureté la cheminée. They had cleaned the chimney.

Other Conjugations for Cureter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cureter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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