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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cuver

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The English translation of the French verb cuver is “to ferment” or “to brew.” It is pronounced as “koo-vay” in its infinitive form.

Cuver comes from the Latin word “cūpa” meaning “barrel” or “cask.” In everyday French, it is used to refer to the process of fermentation or brewing, usually in the context of alcohol. In the Plus-que-parfait tense, it is used to indicate an action that had already been completed in the past.

Here are three examples of cuver used in the Plus-que-parfait tense with their English translations:

  1. J’avais déjà cuvé mon propre vin avant de déménager. (I had already fermented my own wine before moving.)
  2. Les levures avaient bien cuvé le moût, donnant ainsi un goût unique à la bière. (The yeasts had properly fermented the wort, giving the beer a unique taste.)
  3. Nous avions cuvé notre propre brandy pendant un an avant de le déguster. (We had brewed our own brandy for a year before tasting it.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais cuvé J’avais cuvé toute la nuit. I had slept it off all night.
tu tu avais cuvé Tu avais cuvé ta bière. You had downed your beer.
il il avait cuvé Il avait cuvé tout le vin. He had drunk all the wine.
elle elle avait cuvé Elle avait cuvé son cocktail. She had finished her cocktail.
on on avait cuvé On avait cuvé du champagne. One had drank champagne.
nous nous avions cuvé Nous avions cuvé du vin rouge. We had drunk red wine.
vous vous aviez cuvé Vous aviez cuvé du whisky. You had drunk whiskey.
ils ils avaient cuvé Ils avaient cuvé toutes les bières. They had downed all the beers.
elles elles avaient cuvé Elles avaient cuvé leur verre de vin. They had finished their glass of wine.

Other Conjugations for Cuver.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cuver
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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