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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb quarter

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of quarter. 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 ‘quarter’ is ‘to divide into four equal parts’ or ‘to cut into quarters.’ It is pronounced as [kwar-tey] in its infinitive form.

The word ‘quarter’ comes from the Latin word ‘quartarius,’ meaning ‘fourth part.’ In everyday French, it is most commonly used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to express an action that was completed before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of ‘quarter’ being used in Plus-que-parfait tense in everyday French:

  1. J’avais quarté la pizza avant de la mettre au four.
    Translation: I had cut the pizza into quarters before putting it in the oven.

  2. Nous avions quarté le gâteau pour qu’il soit plus facile à partager.
    Translation: We had divided the cake into quarters so that it would be easier to share.

  3. Ils avaient quarté leur temps de travail pour pouvoir profiter de leur week-end.
    Translation: They had divided their work time into quarters to be able to enjoy their weekend.

In all these examples, the action of ‘quartering’ (dividing into four parts) was completed before the other past action (putting the pizza in the oven, sharing the cake, enjoying the weekend).

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais quarté J’avais quarté les cartes. I had shuffled the cards.
tu tu avais quarté Tu avais quarté le repas. You had divided the meal.
il il avait quarté Il avait quarté le terrain. He had divided the field.
elle elle avait quarté Elle avait quarté l’héritage. She had divided the inheritance.
on on avait quarté On avait quarté les tâches. One had divided the tasks.
nous nous avions quarté Nous avions quarté l’argent. We had divided the money.
vous vous aviez quarté Vous aviez quarté les groupes. You had divided the groups.
ils ils avaient quarté Ils avaient quarté les parts. They had divided the shares.
elles elles avaient quarté Elles avaient quarté les rôles. They had divided the roles.

Other Conjugations for Quarter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb quarter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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