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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb caraméliser

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The English translation of the French verb caraméliser is “to caramelize.” It is pronounced “kah-rah-meh-lee-zay.”

The word caraméliser comes from the French word caramel, meaning “caramel,” and the suffix -iser, which is used to turn a noun into a verb. It is most often used in cooking to describe the process of browning sugar or adding caramel to a dish.

In everyday French, caraméliser is often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action.

Here are three examples of caraméliser used in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais caramélisé les pommes avant de les mettre dans la tarte. (I had caramelized the apples before putting them in the tart.)
  2. Tu avais caramélisé les oignons pour la sauce. (You had caramelized the onions for the sauce.)
  3. Ils avaient caramélisé les légumes pour accompagner le poulet. (They had caramelized the vegetables to accompany the chicken.)

In all of these examples, the action of caramelizing (caraméliser) happened before another past action (putting the apples in the tart, making the sauce, and serving the chicken).

In English, the Plus-que-parfait tense is often translated as “had + past participle.” So the English translations of the above examples would be:

  1. I had caramelized the apples before putting them in the tart.
  2. You had caramelized the onions for the sauce.
  3. They had caramelized the vegetables to accompany the chicken.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais caramélisé J’avais caramélisé les pommes. I had caramelized the apples.
tu tu avais caramélisé Tu avais caramélisé le sucre. You had caramelized the sugar.
il il avait caramélisé Il avait caramélisé le dessert. He had caramelized the dessert.
elle elle avait caramélisé Elle avait caramélisé la crème. She had caramelized the cream.
on on avait caramélisé On avait caramélisé les bananes. One had caramelized the bananas.
nous nous avions caramélisé Nous avions caramélisé les noix. We had caramelized the nuts.
vous vous aviez caramélisé Vous aviez caramélisé les poires. You had caramelized the pears.
ils ils avaient caramélisé Ils avaient caramélisé les fraises. They had caramelized the strawberries.
elles elles avaient caramélisé Elles avaient caramélisé les amandes. They had caramelized the almonds.

Other Conjugations for Caraméliser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caraméliser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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