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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb métrer

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The English translation of the French verb métrer is “to measure”. The infinitive form is pronounced “may-tray”.

The word métrer comes from the Old French word “metre”, which means “to measure”. It is derived from the Latin word “metiri”, meaning “to measure, to estimate”. In everyday French, métrer is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait (pluperfect) tense, which is used to express an action that was completed before another past action.

Three simple examples of métrer in the Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. J’avais métré la longueur de la pièce avant de commencer à peindre les murs. (I had measured the length of the room before starting to paint the walls.)
  2. Vous aviez métré le terrain pour savoir où planter les fleurs. (You had measured the land to know where to plant the flowers.)
  3. Ils avaient métré la température de l’eau avant de sauter dans la rivière. (They had measured the water temperature before jumping into the river.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais métré J’avais métré la longueur du mur. I had measured the length of the wall.
tu tu avais métré Tu avais métré la largeur de la pièce. You had measured the width of the room.
il il avait métré Il avait métré la hauteur de l’arbre. He had measured the height of the tree.
elle elle avait métré Elle avait métré la superficie du terrain. She had measured the area of the land.
on on avait métré On avait métré le volume du vase. One had measured the volume of the vase.
nous nous avions métré Nous avions métré la circonférence du cercle. We had measured the circumference of the circle.
vous vous aviez métré Vous aviez métré la profondeur du lac. You had measured the depth of the lake.
ils ils avaient métré Ils avaient métré la distance entre les deux villes. They had measured the distance between the two cities.
elles elles avaient métré Elles avaient métré la capacité du réservoir. They had measured the capacity of the reservoir.

Other Conjugations for Métrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb métrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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