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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb flatter

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The English translation of the French verb flatter is “to flatter.” It is pronounced “flah-tay” in its infinitive form.

Flatter comes from the Latin word “flagitare,” meaning “to demand earnestly.” In everyday French, it is most commonly used to describe the act of praising or complimenting someone in order to gain their favor or admiration. It can also refer to making something look more attractive or appealing.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, flatter is used to describe an action that had been completed before another past action. Here are three examples of its usage:

  1. J’avais flatté ma sœur avant de lui demander de l’argent. (I had flattered my sister before asking her for money.)

  2. Tu avais flatté le chef pour obtenir une promotion. (You had flattered the boss to get a promotion.)

  3. Ils avaient flatté leur voisin pour qu’il leur prête sa tondeuse. (They had flattered their neighbor so that he would lend them his lawnmower.)

English translations:

  1. I had flattered my sister before asking her for money.
  2. You had flattered the boss to get a promotion.
  3. They had flattered their neighbor so that he would lend them his lawnmower.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais flatté J’avais flatté mon ami. I had flattered my friend.
tu tu avais flatté Tu avais flatté ta sœur. You had flattered your sister.
il il avait flatté Il avait flatté sa patronne. He had flattered his boss.
elle elle avait flatté Elle avait flatté son collègue. She had flattered her colleague.
on on avait flatté On avait flatté notre voisin. One had flattered our neighbor.
nous nous avions flatté Nous avions flatté nos parents. We had flattered our parents.
vous vous aviez flatté Vous aviez flatté vos amis. You had flattered your friends.
ils ils avaient flatté Ils avaient flatté leurs voisins. They had flattered their neighbors.
elles elles avaient flatté Elles avaient flatté leurs collègues. They had flattered their colleagues.

Other Conjugations for Flatter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb flatter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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