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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb mater

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The English translation of the French verb mater is “to stare” or “to gaze.” It is pronounced as “mah-teh.”

The word “mater” comes from the Latin word “mater,” meaning “mother.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense with their English translations:

  1. J’avais maté la télé pendant des heures. (I had stared at the TV for hours.)
  2. Elle avait maté son voisin à travers la fenêtre. (She had gazed at her neighbor through the window.)
  3. Nous avions matés les étoiles pendant toute la nuit. (We had stared at the stars all night.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais mat é J’avais maté la télévision. I had checked the television.
tu tu avais mat é Tu avais maté le film. You had watched the movie.
il il avait mat é Il avait maté sa montre. He had looked at his watch.
elle elle avait mat é Elle avait maté le paysage. She had admired the landscape.
on on avait mat é On avait maté les nuages. One had looked at the clouds.
nous nous avions mat é Nous avions maté le documentaire. We had watched the documentary.
vous vous aviez mat é Vous aviez maté le match. You had watched the game.
ils ils avaient mat é Ils avaient maté le spectacle. They had watched the show.
elles elles avaient mat é Elles avaient maté le concert. They had watched the concert.

Other Conjugations for Mater.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb mater
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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