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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb celer

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The English translation of the French verb celer is “to hide” or “to conceal.” The infinitive form is pronounced seh-lay.

Celer comes from the Latin word “celare,” which also means “to hide” or “to conceal.” In everyday French, it is most 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 celer being used in the plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais caché les clés sous le tapis avant qu’il vienne. (I had hidden the keys under the rug before he came.)

  2. Elle avait dissimulé ses sentiments pour lui pendant des années. (She had concealed her feelings for him for years.)

  3. Nous avions gardé le secret jusqu’à ce que tout soit prêt. (We had kept the secret until everything was ready.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais célé J’avais célé la nouvelle. I had celebrated the news.
tu tu avais célé Tu avais célébré ton anniversaire. You had celebrated your birthday.
il il avait célé Il avait célébré une victoire. He had celebrated a victory.
elle elle avait célé Elle avait célébré son mariage. She had celebrated her wedding.
on on avait célé On avait célébré une fête. One had celebrated a party.
nous nous avions célé Nous avions célébré Noël. We had celebrated Christmas.
vous vous aviez célé Vous aviez célébré un événement. You had celebrated an event.
ils ils avaient célé Ils avaient célébré une réussite. They had celebrated a success.
elles elles avaient célé Elles avaient célébré leur amitié. They had celebrated their friendship.

Other Conjugations for Celer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb celer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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