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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb calomnier

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The English translation of the French verb calomnier is “to slander” or “to defame.” It is pronounced “kah-loh-mnee-ay.”

The verb calomnier comes from the Latin word “calumniare,” meaning “to accuse falsely.” It is most often used in everyday French to describe the act of making false accusations or spreading rumors about someone in order to damage their reputation.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, calomnier is used to describe an action that had been completed before another past action. For example, “Il avait calomnié son voisin avant de se rendre compte de sa méprise” (He had slandered his neighbor before realizing his mistake).

Here are three simple examples of calomnier in the Plus-que-parfait tense with their English translations:

  1. J’avais calomnié mon collègue avant de découvrir qu’il était innocent. (I had slandered my colleague before discovering he was innocent).
  2. Les tabloïds avaient calomnié la célébrité pendant des années avant que la vérité ne soit enfin révélée. (The tabloids had defamed the celebrity for years before the truth was finally revealed).
  3. Tu avais calomnié ton ex-petit ami avant de réaliser que tu l’aimais encore. (You had slandered your ex-boyfriend before realizing that you still loved him).

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais calomnié J’avais calomnié mon voisin. I had slandered my neighbor.
tu tu avais calomnié Tu avais calomnié ton collègue. You had slandered your colleague.
il il avait calomnié Il avait calomnié son ami. He had slandered his friend.
elle elle avait calomnié Elle avait calomnié sa sœur. She had slandered her sister.
on on avait calomnié On avait calomnié la victime. One had slandered the victim.
nous nous avions calomnié Nous avions calomnié nos ennemis. We had slandered our enemies.
vous vous aviez calomnié Vous aviez calomnié vos adversaires. You had slandered your opponents.
ils ils avaient calomnié Ils avaient calomnié leurs voisins. They had slandered their neighbors.
elles elles avaient calomnié Elles avaient calomnié leurs collègues. They had slandered their colleagues.

Other Conjugations for Calomnier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb calomnier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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