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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb calter

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The English translation of the French verb calter is “to stumble” or “to falter.”

The infinitive form of calter is pronounced “kal-teh.”

The word comes from the Old French verb “caleter” which means “to slip” or “to falter.” It is most commonly used in everyday French in the plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that had already happened before another past action.

Some examples of calter in the plus-que-parfait tense with their English translations are:

1) J’avais calté sur une pierre et je m’étais blessé à la cheville. (I had stumbled on a rock and had injured my ankle.)
2) Tu avais calté en essayant de fuir la police. (You had faltered while trying to escape the police.)
3) Les joueurs avaient calté sur le terrain glissant et s’étaient fait des entorses. (The players had stumbled on the slippery field and had sprained their ankles.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais calté J’avais calté mon verre. I had stumbled with my glass.
tu tu avais calté Tu avais calté ta valise. You had stumbled with your suitcase.
il il avait calté Il avait calté la porte. He had stumbled with the door.
elle elle avait calté Elle avait calté le seuil. She had stumbled with the threshold.
on on avait calté On avait calté le trottoir. One had stumbled with the sidewalk.
nous nous avions calté Nous avions calté les escaliers. We had stumbled with the stairs.
vous vous aviez calté Vous aviez calté la poubelle. You had stumbled with the garbage can.
ils ils avaient calté Ils avaient calté le tapis. They had stumbled with the rug.
elles elles avaient calté Elles avaient calté la boîte. They had stumbled with the box.

Other Conjugations for Calter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb calter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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