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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb calmer

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The English translation of the French verb calmer is “to calm” or “to soothe.” It is pronounced as “kal-may” in its infinitive form.

The word “calmer” comes from the Latin word “calmare” which means “to comfort” or “to soothe.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense.

Here are three simple examples of how “calmer” is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense in everyday French:

  1. J’avais calmé le bébé avant de le mettre au lit. (I had calmed the baby before putting him to bed.)

  2. Nous avions calmé la colère de notre voisin en lui offrant des fleurs. (We had calmed our neighbor’s anger by offering him flowers.)

  3. Tu avais calmé tes peurs en prenant une grande respiration. (You had calmed your fears by taking a deep breath.)

In these sentences, “calmer” is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to describe an action that had been completed in the past. It is often used to show a sequence of events or actions that occurred before another action in the past.

Overall, “calmer” is a commonly used verb in French that is used to describe the act of calming or soothing someone or something. It can also be used in a figurative sense to describe the act of calming one’s emotions or thoughts.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais calmé J’avais calmé mes nerfs. I had calmed my nerves.
tu tu avais calmé Tu avais calmé la situation. You had calmed the situation.
il il avait calmé Il avait calmé le bébé. He had calmed the baby.
elle elle avait calmé Elle avait calmé le chien. She had calmed the dog.
on on avait calmé On avait calmé les esprits. One had calmed the spirits.
nous nous avions calmé Nous avions calmé le groupe. We had calmed the group.
vous vous aviez calmé Vous aviez calmé vos peurs. You had calmed your fears.
ils ils avaient calmé Ils avaient calmé leurs enfants. They had calmed their children.
elles elles avaient calmé Elles avaient calmé leur colère. They had calmed their anger.

Other Conjugations for Calmer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb calmer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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