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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb filmer

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The English translation of the French verb filmer is “to film” or “to record.” The infinitive form, “filmer,” is pronounced as “fee-lmeh.”

Filmer comes from the French word “film,” which comes from the Latin word “filum,” meaning “thread” or “fiber.” The use of filmer in everyday French is most often associated with the action of recording videos or movies, but it can also refer to recording audio or other types of media.

In the plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English, filmer is used to talk about an action that was completed before another past action. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the imperfect tense followed by the past participle of filmer, which is “filmé.”

Here are three examples of filmer in the plus-que-parfait tense with their English translations:

  1. J’avais filmé la fête avant que les invités arrivent. (I had filmed the party before the guests arrived.)
  2. Tu avais filmé ta présentation avant que le projecteur tombe en panne. (You had filmed your presentation before the projector broke down.)
  3. Ils avaient filmé le concert avant que la batterie de la caméra ne meure. (They had filmed the concert before the camera battery died.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais filmé J’avais filmé la scène. I had filmed the scene.
tu tu avais filmé Tu avais filmé la fête. You had filmed the party.
il il avait filmé Il avait filmé le paysage. He had filmed the landscape.
elle elle avait filmé Elle avait filmé le coucher de soleil. She had filmed the sunset.
on on avait filmé On avait filmé le concert. One had filmed the concert.
nous nous avions filmé Nous avions filmé le documentaire. We had filmed the documentary.
vous vous aviez filmé Vous aviez filmé le mariage. You had filmed the wedding.
ils ils avaient filmé Ils avaient filmé le match. They had filmed the game.
elles elles avaient filmé Elles avaient filmé la pièce de théâtre. They had filmed the theater play.

Other Conjugations for Filmer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb filmer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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