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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb putter

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of putter. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb putter is “to putt.” In French, the infinitive form of putter is pronounced as “poo-teh.”

The word putter originated from the Old English word “puttere,” which means “one who puts,” and was derived from the Latin word “puteus,” meaning “well.” In modern French, putter is most often used in every day language as a sports term, specifically in the sport of golf, to describe the action of tapping or hitting a golf ball with a putter club.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, putter is often used to describe a past action that was completed before another past action. For example:

  1. J’avais putté avant que la pluie ne commence à tomber. (I had putted before the rain started to fall.)
  2. Il avait putté dix fois avant de réussir enfin le coup parfait. (He had putted ten times before finally making the perfect shot.)
  3. Nous avions putté toute la journée, mais nous n’avions pas réussi à gagner le tournoi. (We had putted all day, but we didn’t manage to win the tournament.)

In these examples, the action of putté (putted) occurred before another past action (la pluie ne commence à tomber, réussir le coup parfait, and réussi à gagner le tournoi).

Overall, putter is most commonly used in its infinitive form or past participle form (putté) in the Plus-que-parfait tense in French. It is primarily used in the context of golf, but can also be used in other sports or situations where putting or tapping is involved.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais putté J’avais putté le ballon. I had putted the ball.
tu tu avais putté Tu avais putté le club. You had putted the club.
il il avait putté Il avait putté la balle. He had putted the ball.
elle elle avait putté Elle avait putté le putter. She had putted the putter.
on on avait putté On avait putté le green. One had putted the green.
nous nous avions putté Nous avions putté le green. We had putted the green.
vous vous aviez putté Vous aviez putté le drapeau. You had putted the flag.
ils ils avaient putté Ils avaient putté le terrain. They had putted the course.
elles elles avaient putté Elles avaient putté le trou. They had putted the hole.

Other Conjugations for Putter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb putter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the putter Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts