J’avais enfilé mon pull avant que la température ne baisse encore.

I had put on my sweater before the temperature dropped further.

Breakdown of J’avais enfilé mon pull avant que la température ne baisse encore.

• je: I
• mon: my
• avant que: before
• le pull: the sweater
• enfiler: to put on
• la température: the temperature

Questions & Answers about J’avais enfilé mon pull avant que la température ne baisse encore.

Why does the sentence use the pluperfect form "J’avais enfilé" instead of a simple past tense?

The pluperfect (plus-que-parfait) is used to express that one past action happened before another. In this case, it indicates that I had already put on my sweater before the temperature dropped further. This helps establish the sequence of events clearly.

Why is the subjunctive mood used in the clause "avant que la température ne baisse encore"?

After expressions like avant que (meaning "before"), French grammar requires the subjunctive mood because the clause describes an event that is anticipated or not yet realized relative to the main action. Here, baisse is in the subjunctive to reflect that the temperature dropping was expected to happen after the sweater was put on.

What is the purpose of the "ne" in "avant que la température ne baisse encore" when it isn’t conveying a negation?

This expletive ne (sometimes called the "ne explétif") does not express negation. Instead, it is added after certain conjunctions (like avant que) to maintain a formal or stylistic structure in French. Its presence does not alter the positive meaning of the clause.

What does "enfilé" mean in this context? Does it solely refer to a method of putting on clothes?

Yes, enfilé is the past participle of enfiler, which generally means "to slip on" or "to put on" clothing. In this context, it indicates that the sweater was put on, often suggesting a swift or uncomplicated action.

What role does "encore" play at the end of the sentence?

The word encore here means "further" or "again." It implies that the temperature was expected to drop even more, prompting the speaker to put on their sweater preemptively before the environment became even colder.