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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb moutonner

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The English translation of the French verb moutonner is “to foam” or “to froth.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “moo-tohn-eh.”

The word moutonner comes from the French noun “mouton” which means “sheep.” In this context, the verb moutonner refers to the foamy appearance that sheep’s wool can have. It is most commonly used in its literal sense to describe the foaming or frothing of liquids, such as milk or soap.

In everyday French, the verb moutonner is also used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to describe an action that has been completed in the past before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of moutonner in the Plus-que-parfait tense, with their English translations:

  1. J’avais moutonné le lait avant de l’ajouter au mélange. (I had foamed the milk before adding it to the mixture.)

  2. Tu avais moutonné le savon jusqu’à ce qu’il devienne mousseux. (You had frothed the soap until it became foamy.)

  3. Il avait moutonné le chocolat chaud avec une baguette en bois. (He had foamed the hot chocolate with a wooden stick.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais moutonné J’avais moutonné devant le troupeau. I had followed the herd.
tu tu avais moutonné Tu avais moutonné en écoutant ses conseils. You had blindly followed her advice.
il il avait moutonné Il avait moutonné en suivant la foule. He had blindly followed the crowd.
elle elle avait moutonné Elle avait moutonné en copiant ses amis. She had blindly followed her friends.
on on avait moutonné On avait moutonné en répétant les mêmes erreurs. One had blindly followed in making the same mistakes.
nous nous avions moutonné Nous avions moutonné en croyant tout ce qu’on nous disait. We had blindly followed believing everything we were told.
vous vous aviez moutonné Vous aviez moutonné en refusant de penser par vous-même. You had blindly followed by refusing to think for yourself.
ils ils avaient moutonné Ils avaient moutonné en se conformant aux normes sociales. They had blindly followed by conforming to social norms.
elles elles avaient moutonné Elles avaient moutonné en imitant les autres. They had blindly followed by imitating others.

Other Conjugations for Moutonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb moutonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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