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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb mirer

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of mirer. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb mirer is “to aim” or “to target.” The infinitive form is pronounced “mee-reh.”

The language origin of mirer can be traced back to the Latin word “mirari,” meaning “to admire” or “to marvel.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to talk about actions that were completed before a specific point in the past.

Three examples of using mirer in the Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. J’avais miré le ballon avant de le frapper. (I had aimed the ball before hitting it.)
  2. Nous avions miré la cible depuis plusieurs heures. (We had been targeting the target for several hours.)
  3. Les archers avaient miré leurs flèches avant de les relâcher. (The archers had aimed their arrows before releasing them.)

English translations:

  1. I had aimed the ball before hitting it.
  2. We had been targeting the target for several hours.
  3. The archers had aimed their arrows before releasing them.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais miré J’avais miré mon reflet dans le miroir. I had looked at my reflection in the mirror.
tu tu avais miré Tu avais miré le paysage à travers la fenêtre. You had looked at the landscape through the window.
il il avait miré Il avait miré sa montre pour vérifier l’heure. He had checked the time on his watch.
elle elle avait miré Elle avait miré son apparence dans le miroir. She had admired her appearance in the mirror.
on on avait miré On avait miré les étoiles dans le ciel. One had gazed at the stars in the sky.
nous nous avions miré Nous avions miré les monuments historiques. We had admired the historical monuments.
vous vous aviez miré Vous aviez miré les œuvres d’art dans le musée. You had observed the artworks in the museum.
ils ils avaient miré Ils avaient miré les paysages ensoleillés. They had marveled at the sunny landscapes.
elles elles avaient miré Elles avaient miré les nouvelles tendances de la mode. They had looked at the latest fashion trends.

Other Conjugations for Mirer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb mirer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the mirer Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts