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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb mitonner

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The English translation of the French verb mitonner is “to simmer” or “to stew.” It is pronounced mee-tuh-nay.

The word “mitonner” comes from the Old French word “miton” which means “dainty dish” or “delicacy.” It is most often used in everyday French to refer to cooking slowly and gently over low heat, allowing the flavors to develop and blend together.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, mitonner is used to describe an action that had been ongoing or completed in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage:

  1. J’avais mitonné le ragout pendant des heures avant que mes invités arrivent. (I had been simmering the stew for hours before my guests arrived.)

  2. Elle avait mitonné une soupe délicieuse pour le dîner. (She had simmered a delicious soup for dinner.)

  3. Nous avions mitonné un plat traditionnel français pour le repas de Noël. (We had simmered a traditional French dish for Christmas dinner.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais mijoté J’avais mijoté le ragoût. I had simmered the stew.
tu tu avais mijoté Tu avais mijoté la sauce. You had simmered the sauce.
il il avait mijoté Il avait mijoté le plat. He had simmered the dish.
elle elle avait mijoté Elle avait mijoté la soupe. She had simmered the soup.
on on avait mijoté On avait mijoté le rôti. One had roasted the roast.
nous nous avions mijoté Nous avions mijoté le poulet. We had simmered the chicken.
vous vous aviez mijoté Vous aviez mijoté le bœuf. You had simmered the beef.
ils ils avaient mijoté Ils avaient mijoté le poisson. They had simmered the fish.
elles elles avaient mijoté Elles avaient mijoté le légumes. They had simmered the vegetables.

Other Conjugations for Mitonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb mitonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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