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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb détartrer

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of détartrer. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb détartrer is “to descale” or “to remove limescale.” It is pronounced as day-tar-treh.

The word détartrer comes from the French word “tarte,” meaning tart or pie, and the suffix “-er,” which is commonly used to form infinitive verbs in French. It is derived from the Latin word “tartarus,” which means “hell” or “place of torment.” In everyday French, détartrer is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English.

Three simple examples of its usage in the Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. J’avais détartré la cafetière avant de préparer le petit-déjeuner. (I had descaled the coffee maker before preparing breakfast.)
  2. Nous étions déjà arrivés à la maison quand j’ai réalisé que j’avais oublié de détartrer la bouilloire. (We had already arrived home when I realized I had forgotten to descale the kettle.)
  3. Ils avaient détartré le robinet de la salle de bain mais il fuyait toujours. (They had descaled the bathroom faucet but it was still leaking.)

These examples show how détartrer is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to describe an action that had already been completed in the past. It is often used with other past tense verbs to give a sense of sequence or to describe an action that happened before another action in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais détartré J’avais détartré la cafetière. I had descaled the coffee maker.
tu tu avais détartré Tu avais détartré la bouilloire. You had descaled the kettle.
il il avait détartré Il avait détartré le lavabo. He had descaled the sink.
elle elle avait détartré Elle avait détartré la baignoire. She had descaled the bathtub.
on on avait détartré On avait détartré les robinets. One had descaled the faucets.
nous nous avions détartré Nous avions détartré les toilettes. We had descaled the toilet.
vous vous aviez détartré Vous aviez détartré le lave-vaisselle. You had descaled the dishwasher.
ils ils avaient détartré Ils avaient détartré le chauffe-eau. They had descaled the water heater.
elles elles avaient détartré Elles avaient détartré le fer à repasser. They had descaled the iron.

Other Conjugations for Détartrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détartrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the détartrer Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts