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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb filtrer

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The English translation of the French verb filtrer is “to filter.” It is pronounced “fee-truh-lay” in its infinitive form.

Filtrer is derived from the Latin word “filtrare,” meaning “to strain or filter.” It is most commonly used in everyday French to refer to the act of separating or purifying a substance by passing it through a filter.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, filtrer is used to indicate an action that had been completed before another past action. For example:

  1. J’avais filtré le café avant que mes amis arrivent. (I had filtered the coffee before my friends arrived.)
  2. Quand j’ai vu la saleté dans l’eau, j’avais déjà filtré la carafe. (When I saw the dirt in the water, I had already filtered the pitcher.)
  3. Elle m’a dit qu’elle avait filtré le jus de fruits. (She told me that she had filtered the fruit juice.)

In these examples, the verb filtrer is conjugated in the Plus-que-parfait tense to indicate that the action of filtering had been completed before the other past actions took place.

In conclusion, filtrer is a versatile verb in French that is most often used to refer to the act of separating or purifying a substance. In the Plus-que-parfait tense, it is used to indicate a completed action before another past action.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais filtré J’avais filtré le café. I had filtered the coffee.
tu tu avais filtré Tu avais filtré l’eau. You had filtered the water.
il il avait filtré Il avait filtré le vin. He had filtered the wine.
elle elle avait filtré Elle avait filtré le thé. She had filtered the tea.
on on avait filtré On avait filtré le lait. One had filtered the milk.
nous nous avions filtré Nous avions filtré le jus. We had filtered the juice.
vous vous aviez filtré Vous aviez filtré le bouillon. You had filtered the broth.
ils ils avaient filtré Ils avaient filtré le jus de fruits. They had filtered the fruit juice.
elles elles avaient filtré Elles avaient filtré le soda. They had filtered the soda.

Other Conjugations for Filtrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb filtrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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