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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb miter

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The English translation of the French verb miter is “to miter.” The infinitive form is pronounced “mee-teh.”

The word “miter” comes from the Latin word “mitra” which referred to a headdress worn by priests. In Middle English, it came to mean a pointed cap worn by bishops, and eventually evolved into the verb “miter” in French.

In everyday French, miter is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of miter in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. Quand j’ai vu le résultat, j’ai regretté de ne pas avoir mité les angles correctement. (When I saw the result, I regretted not having mitered the corners correctly.)

  2. Ils avaient déjà acheté la maison avant de se rendre compte qu’ils avaient oublié de miter les plinthes. (They had already bought the house before realizing they had forgotten to miter the baseboards.)

  3. J’avais demandé à mon père de miter le bois pour que je puisse terminer mon projet de menuiserie. (I had asked my father to miter the wood so I could finish my woodworking project.)

English translations:

  1. regretted not having mitered
  2. had forgotten to miter
  3. had asked my father to miter.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais mîté J’avais mîté le bois. I had mitered the wood.
tu tu avais mîté Tu avais mîté les angles. You had mitered the corners.
il il avait mîté Il avait mîté la plinthe. He had mitered the baseboard.
elle elle avait mîté Elle avait mîté le cadre. She had mitered the frame.
on on avait mîté On avait mîté les pièces. One had mitered the pieces.
nous nous avions mîté Nous avions mîté les planches. We had mitered the planks.
vous vous aviez mîté Vous aviez mîté les bords. You had mitered the edges.
ils ils avaient mîté Ils avaient mîté les moulures. They had mitered the moldings.
elles elles avaient mîté Elles avaient mîté les moulures. They had mitered the moldings.

Other Conjugations for Miter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb miter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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