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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb phagocyter

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The English translation of the French verb phagocyter is “to phagocytize” or “to engulf”. The infinitive form is pronounced “fa-goh-see-tay”.

The word phagocyter comes from the Greek word “phagein” meaning “to eat” and the Latin word “cytus” meaning “cell”. It was first used in the medical field in the late 19th century to describe the process of a cell engulfing and digesting foreign particles or cells.

In everyday French, phagocyter is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to describe an action that was already completed in the past. It is typically used in a scientific or medical context.

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

  1. Les macrophages avaient phagocyté les bactéries avant que l’infection ne se propage. (The macrophages had engulfed the bacteria before the infection could spread.)
  2. Les globules blancs avaient phagocyté les cellules mortes pour les éliminer du corps. (The white blood cells had phagocytized the dead cells to eliminate them from the body.)
  3. Les amibes avaient phagocyté les particules alimentaires pour se nourrir. (The amoebas had phagocytized food particles to nourish themselves.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais phagocyté J’avais phagocyté les cellules. I had phagocytized the cells.
tu tu avais phagocyté Tu avais phagocyté les bactéries. You had phagocytized the bacteria.
il il avait phagocyté Il avait phagocyté les virus. He had phagocytized the viruses.
elle elle avait phagocyté Elle avait phagocyté les parasites. She had phagocytized the parasites.
on on avait phagocyté On avait phagocyté les toxines. One had phagocytized the toxins.
nous nous avions phagocyté Nous avions phagocyté les agents pathogènes. We had phagocytized the pathogens.
vous vous aviez phagocyté Vous aviez phagocyté les microbes. You had phagocytized the microbes.
ils ils avaient phagocyté Ils avaient phagocyté les champignons. They had phagocytized the fungi.
elles elles avaient phagocyté Elles avaient phagocyté les bactéries. They had phagocytized the bacteria.

Other Conjugations for Phagocyter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb phagocyter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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