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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb caler

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The English translation of the French verb caler is “to stall” or “to falter”. It is pronounced as “ka-leh”.

The word caler is derived from the Old French word “cale” which means “to wedge” or “to prop up”. It was originally used in the context of using a wedge or support to keep a ship steady. Eventually, it came to be used figuratively to mean a lack of progress or delay in completing a task.

In everyday French, caler is often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses an action that occurred before another past action. It is generally used to describe a situation where something was supposed to happen, but was delayed or hindered.

Here are three simple examples of caler being used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, with their English translations:

  1. J’avais calé mon réveil pour 6 heures, mais il n’a pas sonné. (I had set my alarm for 6 o’clock, but it didn’t ring.)
  2. Nous avions calé notre rendez-vous depuis longtemps, mais il a plu et on a dû l’annuler. (We had scheduled our meeting a long time ago, but it rained and we had to cancel it.)
  3. Tu avais calé sur ton devoir et c’est pour ça que tu n’as pas pu le finir à temps. (You had stalled on your homework, that’s why you couldn’t finish it on time.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais calé J’avais calé le moteur. I had stalled the engine.
tu tu avais calé Tu avais calé la voiture. You had parked the car.
il il avait calé Il avait calé le vélo. He had propped up the bike.
elle elle avait calé Elle avait calé son vélo. She had balanced her bike.
on on avait calé On avait calé le camion. One had stopped the truck.
nous nous avions calé Nous avions calé la table. We had propped up the table.
vous vous aviez calé Vous aviez calé la chaise. You had balanced the chair.
ils ils avaient calé Ils avaient calé le meuble. They had stabilized the furniture.
elles elles avaient calé Elles avaient calé leur vélo. They had balanced their bikes.

Other Conjugations for Caler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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