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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb fertiliser

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The English translation of the French verb fertiliser is “to fertilize.” It is pronounced “fehr-tee-lee-zay.”

The word fertiliser comes from the Latin word “fertilis,” meaning “fruitful or fertile.” It entered the French language in the 15th century, and its usage has evolved to refer specifically to the process of enriching soil with nutrients to promote plant growth.

In everyday French, the verb fertiliser is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past.

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

  1. J’avais fertilisé le sol avant de planter les tomates. (I had fertilized the soil before planting the tomatoes.)

  2. Tu avais fertilisé ces fleurs hier, n’est-ce pas ? (You had fertilized these flowers yesterday, right?)

  3. Les agriculteurs avaient fertilisé les champs avant la saison de croissance. (The farmers had fertilized the fields before the growing season.)

In these examples, the verb fertiliser is conjugated in the Plus-que-parfait tense with the auxiliary verb “avoir” and the past participle “fertilisé.” Its meaning remains the same as in the infinitive form, to enrich the soil with nutrients.

Overall, fertiliser is a common verb used in everyday French to describe the act of fertilizing, which is an important step in agriculture and gardening.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais fertilisé J’avais fertilisé le jardin. I had fertilized the garden.
tu tu avais fertilisé Tu avais fertilisé les plantes. You had fertilized the plants.
il il avait fertilisé Il avait fertilisé le sol. He had fertilized the soil.
elle elle avait fertilisé Elle avait fertilisé la pelouse. She had fertilized the lawn.
on on avait fertilisé On avait fertilisé le potager. One had fertilized the vegetable garden.
nous nous avions fertilisé Nous avions fertilisé le champ. We had fertilized the field.
vous vous aviez fertilisé Vous aviez fertilisé le gazon. You had fertilized the grass.
ils ils avaient fertilisé Ils avaient fertilisé les fleurs. They had fertilized the flowers.
elles elles avaient fertilisé Elles avaient fertilisé les arbustes. They had fertilized the bushes.

Other Conjugations for Fertiliser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fertiliser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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