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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb itérer

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The English translation of the French verb itérer is “to iterate” or “to repeat.” It is pronounced as “ee-teh-reh.”

The word itérer comes from the Latin verb iterare, meaning “to repeat.” It entered the French language in the 16th century and has been used in various fields such as mathematics, computer science, and literature.

In everyday French, the verb itérer is most often used in the past tense, specifically the Plus-que-parfait (pluperfect) tense. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of the verb.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Plus-que-parfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais itéré l’expérience avant de comprendre mes erreurs.
    (I had repeated the experiment before understanding my mistakes.)

  2. Elle était partie en vacances après avoir itéré son travail.
    (She had gone on vacation after repeating her work.)

  3. Nous avions itéré notre promesse plusieurs fois avant de la tenir enfin.
    (We had repeated our promise several times before finally keeping it.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais itéré J’avais itéré le processus. I had iterated the process.
tu tu avais itéré Tu avais itéré la liste. You had iterated the list.
il il avait itéré Il avait itéré l’algorithme. He had iterated the algorithm.
elle elle avait itéré Elle avait itéré la méthode. She had iterated the method.
on on avait itéré On avait itéré le modèle. One had iterated the model.
nous nous avions itéré Nous avions itéré le code. We had iterated the code.
vous vous aviez itéré Vous aviez itéré le processus. You had iterated the process.
ils ils avaient itéré Ils avaient itéré le projet. They had iterated the project.
elles elles avaient itéré Elles avaient itéré la formule. They had iterated the formula.

Other Conjugations for Itérer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb itérer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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