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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cémenter

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The English translation of the French verb cémenter is “to cement” or “to reinforce.” The infinitive form of cémenter is pronounced as “seh-mahn-teh.”

The word cémenter comes from the Latin verb “cementare,” which means “to put together” or “to cement.” It entered the French language in the 16th century and has been used primarily in the construction and building industry.

In everyday French, cémenter 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 action in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense with their respective English translations:

  1. Nous avions cémenté les murs avant de poser les carreaux. (We had cemented the walls before laying the tiles.)
  2. Elle avait cémenté les fondations avant que la tempête n’arrive. (She had reinforced the foundations before the storm arrived.)
  3. J’avais cémenté les briques moi-même, mais elles se sont effritées avec le temps. (I had cemented the bricks myself, but they crumbled over time.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais cémenté J’avais cémenté le mur. I had cemented the wall.
tu tu avais cémenté Tu avais cémenté le sol. You had cemented the floor.
il il avait cémenté Il avait cémenté le plafond. He had cemented the ceiling.
elle elle avait cémenté Elle avait cémenté la terrasse. She had cemented the terrace.
on on avait cémenté On avait cémenté le trottoir. One had cemented the sidewalk.
nous nous avions cémenté Nous avions cémenté le mur. We had cemented the wall.
vous vous aviez cémenté Vous aviez cémenté la façade. You had cemented the facade.
ils ils avaient cémenté Ils avaient cémenté la fondation. They had cemented the foundation.
elles elles avaient cémenté Elles avaient cémenté le toit. They had cemented the roof.

Other Conjugations for Cémenter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cémenter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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