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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb macérer

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The English translation of the French verb macérer is “to macerate.” It is pronounced “mah-seh-ray.”

The word “macérer” comes from the Latin word “macerare,” meaning “to soften.” In everyday French, it is most often used in cooking to describe a process of soaking food in a liquid in order to soften it. However, it can also be used in a figurative sense to describe a process of steeping or breaking down something, such as ideas or emotions.

Examples of “macérer” used in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais macéré les fruits toute la nuit avant de les utiliser dans la tarte. (I had macerated the fruits all night before using them in the tart.)

  2. Elle nous avait laissé prendre le temps de macérer nos pensées avant de prendre une décision. (She had let us take the time to macerate our thoughts before making a decision.)

  3. Ils s’étaient macérés dans leur chagrin pendant des mois avant de trouver la force de reprendre une vie normale. (They had macerated in their grief for months before finding the strength to resume a normal life.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais macéré J’avais macéré la viande. I had macerated the meat.
tu tu avais macéré Tu avais macéré les fruits. You had macerated the fruits.
il il avait macéré Il avait macéré le vin. He had macerated the wine.
elle elle avait macéré Elle avait macéré la sauce. She had macerated the sauce.
on on avait macéré On avait macéré le poisson. One had macerated the fish.
nous nous avions macéré Nous avions macéré les herbes. We had macerated the herbs.
vous vous aviez macéré Vous aviez macéré les légumes. You had macerated the vegetables.
ils ils avaient macéré Ils avaient macéré les épices. They had macerated the spices.
elles elles avaient macéré Elles avaient macéré les olives. They had macerated the olives.

Other Conjugations for Macérer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb macérer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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