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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb nitrer

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The English translation of the French verb nitrer is “to nitrate.” It is pronounced “nee-tray.”

The language origin of nitrer can be traced back to the Latin word “nitrum,” meaning “sodium carbonate,” which ultimately comes from the Greek word “nitron.”

In everyday French, nitrer 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 past action.

Here are three simple examples of nitrer in the plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais nitré le sol avant de planter les fleurs. (I had nitrated the soil before planting the flowers.)
  2. Elle avait déjà nitré ses cheveux avant la soirée. (She had already nitrate her hair before the party.)
  3. Nous avions nitré les fruits pour les conserver plus longtemps. (We had nitrate the fruits to preserve them for longer.)

In these examples, nitrer is used to indicate an action that was completed before another action in the past. In English, this tense is equivalent to “had + past participle” form, such as “had nitrate” or “had nitrated.”

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais nitré J’avais nitré le sol. I had treated the soil with nitrate.
tu tu avais nitré Tu avais nitré le papier. You had nitrated the paper.
il il avait nitré Il avait nitré le métal. He had nitrated the metal.
elle elle avait nitré Elle avait nitré le tissu. She had nitrated the fabric.
on on avait nitré On avait nitré le bois. One had nitrated the wood.
nous nous avions nitré Nous avions nitré la viande. We had nitrated the meat.
vous vous aviez nitré Vous aviez nitré le textile. You had nitrated the textile.
ils ils avaient nitré Ils avaient nitré le béton. They had nitrated the concrete.
elles elles avaient nitré Elles avaient nitré le verre. They had nitrated the glass.

Other Conjugations for Nitrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb nitrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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