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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dilater

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The English translation of the French verb dilater is “to dilate.” It is pronounced “dee-lah-teh.”

The word dilater comes from the Latin verb “dilatare,” meaning “to spread out or enlarge.” It entered the French language in the 13th century.

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

Here are three simple examples of how dilater is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais dilaté mes pupilles avant de rentrer dans la salle de cinéma. (I had dilated my pupils before entering the movie theater.)

  2. Nous avions dilaté le temps en prenant notre temps pour finir nos devoirs. (We had stretched out time by taking our time to finish our homework.)

  3. Les médecins avaient dilaté les veines du patient pour faciliter le passage du sang. (The doctors had dilated the patient’s veins to facilitate the passage of blood.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais dilaté J’avais dilaté mes pupilles. I had dilated my pupils.
tu tu avais dilaté Tu avais dilaté tes veines. You had dilated your veins.
il il avait dilaté Il avait dilaté son estomac. He had dilated his stomach.
elle elle avait dilaté Elle avait dilaté son col de l’utérus. She had dilated her cervix.
on on avait dilaté On avait dilaté nos horizons. One had expanded our horizons.
nous nous avions dilaté Nous avions dilaté les pupilles des spectateurs. We had dilated the audience’s pupils.
vous vous aviez dilaté Vous aviez dilaté vos pupilles. You had dilated your pupils.
ils ils avaient dilaté Ils avaient dilaté leurs veines. They had dilated their veins.
elles elles avaient dilaté Elles avaient dilaté leur estomac. They had dilated their stomachs.

Other Conjugations for Dilater.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dilater
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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