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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb muter

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The English translation of the French verb muter is “to change.” It is pronounced as [my-teh] in its infinitive form.

The word muter comes from the Latin word “mutare,” meaning “to change.” It is most often used in French to describe a change or transformation of something or someone. In everyday French, it is commonly used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English.

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

1) J’avais muté de travail avant de déménager. (I had changed jobs before moving.)
2) Tu avais muté ton apparence quand je t’ai revu. (You had changed your appearance when I saw you again.)
3) Ils avaient muté leurs plans en raison de la météo. (They had changed their plans due to the weather.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais muté J’avais muté dans un nouveau département. I had moved to a new department.
tu tu avais muté Tu avais muté dans une autre ville. You had moved to another city.
il il avait muté Il avait muté vers un autre poste. He had transferred to another position.
elle elle avait muté Elle avait muté pour un meilleur salaire. She had transferred for a better salary.
on on avait muté On avait muté dans une autre entreprise. One had moved to another company.
nous nous avions muté Nous avions muté dans un autre pays. We had moved to another country.
vous vous aviez muté Vous aviez muté pour un meilleur poste. You had transferred for a better position.
ils ils avaient muté Ils avaient muté vers une autre division. They had transferred to another division.
elles elles avaient muté Elles avaient muté pour une promotion. They had transferred for a promotion.

Other Conjugations for Muter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb muter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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