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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb entre-tuer

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The English translation of the French verb entre-tuer is “to kill each other”. It is pronounced as “ahn-truh-tyuh”.

The origin of entre-tuer can be traced back to the Latin word “inter” meaning “between” and the Old French word “tuer” meaning “to kill”. In modern French, it is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense.

In everyday French, entre-tuer is often used to describe a violent or deadly situation where two or more people are killing each other. It can also be used figuratively to describe a fierce competition or conflict between two parties.

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

  1. Les deux tribus s’étaient entre-tuées lors de la guerre. (The two tribes had killed each other during the war.)

  2. Les deux concurrents s’étaient entre-tués pour obtenir le poste de directeur. (The two competitors had killed each other to get the position of director.)

  3. Lorsque la révolution a éclaté, les citoyens se sont entre-tués pour obtenir la liberté. (When the revolution broke out, the citizens killed each other to obtain freedom.)

  4. The two tribes had killed each other during the war.

  5. The two competitors had killed each other to get the position of director.

  6. When the revolution broke out, the citizens killed each other to obtain freedom.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais entretué J’avais entretué mon adversaire. I had killed my opponent.
tu tu avais entretué Tu avais entretué ton ennemi. You had killed your enemy.
il il avait entretué Il avait entretué son rival. He had killed his rival.
elle elle avait entretué Elle avait entretué sa rivale. She had killed her rival.
on on avait entretué On avait entretué l’opposant. One had killed the opponent.
nous nous avions entretué Nous avions entretué nos adversaires. We had killed our opponents.
vous vous aviez entretué Vous aviez entretué les ennemis. You had killed the enemies.
ils ils avaient entretué Ils avaient entretué leurs rivaux. They had killed their rivals.
elles elles avaient entretué Elles avaient entretué leurs rivales. They had killed their rivals.

Other Conjugations for Entre-Tuer.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb entre-tuer
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb entre-tuer
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb entre-tuer
   

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb entre-tuer
   

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb entre-tuer
   

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb entre-tuer
   

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

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb entre-tuer

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb entre-tuer

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb entre-tuer

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb entre-tuer
   

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb entre-tuer

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

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb entre-tuer
   

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb entre-tuer

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb entre-tuer

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb entre-tuer

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

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Entre-Tuer – 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 entre-tuer. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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