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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb amenuiser

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The English translation of the French verb amenuiser is “to reduce” or “to diminish.” It is pronounced “ahm-nuh-wee-zay.”

The word amenuiser comes from the Old French word “menues,” meaning small or thin. It is derived from the Latin word “minutia,” which means smallness.

In everyday French, amenuiser is commonly used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to describe a completed action that took place before another past action.

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

  1. J’avais amenuisé mes dépenses avant de perdre mon emploi. (I had reduced my expenses before losing my job.)

  2. Il avait amenuisé sa portion pour manger moins. (He had reduced his portion to eat less.)

  3. Elle avait amenuisé ses soucis en faisant du yoga. (She had diminished her worries by doing yoga.)

In each of these examples, the verb amenuiser is used to describe a completed action that happened before another past action. It is often used to indicate that something was reduced or diminished in size, quantity, or intensity.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais amenuisé J’avais amenuisé mes dépenses. I had reduced my expenses.
tu tu avais amenuisé Tu avais amenuisé ta colère. You had lessened your anger.
il il avait amenuisé Il avait amenuisé le bruit. He had decreased the noise.
elle elle avait amenuisé Elle avait amenuisé la douleur. She had diminished the pain.
on on avait amenuisé On avait amenuisé le problème. One had minimized the problem.
nous nous avions amenuisé Nous avions amenuisé nos attentes. We had lowered our expectations.
vous vous aviez amenuisé Vous aviez amenuisé les risques. You had reduced the risks.
ils ils avaient amenuisé Ils avaient amenuisé leurs provisions. They had decreased their supplies.
elles elles avaient amenuisé Elles avaient amenuisé leurs dépenses. They had decreased their expenses.

Other Conjugations for Amenuiser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb amenuiser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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