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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb clairsemer

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The English translation of the French verb clairsemer is “to scatter” or “to sprinkle.” It is pronounced as “klehr-seh-may.”

The verb clairsemer comes from the French words “clair” meaning clear and “semer” meaning to sow or scatter. It is most often used in everyday French in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English.

Here are three simple examples of how clairsemer is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais clairsemé des graines dans mon jardin avant de partir en vacances. (I had scattered seeds in my garden before leaving on vacation.)

  2. Elle avait clairsemé du sel sur la viande avant de la mettre au four. (She had sprinkled salt on the meat before putting it in the oven.)

  3. Nous avions clairsemé des fleurs le long de la route pour le mariage. (We had scattered flowers along the road for the wedding.)

In these examples, clairsemer is used to indicate an action that was completed before another past action. It is often used to describe tasks or actions that were done in preparation for something else.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais clairsemé J’avais clairsemé mon jardin. I had scattered my garden.
tu tu avais clairsemé Tu avais clairsemé des graines. You had scattered seeds.
il il avait clairsemé Il avait clairsemé des fleurs. He had scattered flowers.
elle elle avait clairsemé Elle avait clairsemé des confettis. She had scattered confetti.
on on avait clairsemé On avait clairsemé des pétales. One had scattered petals.
nous nous avions clairsemé Nous avions clairsemé du foin. We had scattered hay.
vous vous aviez clairsemé Vous aviez clairsemé du sable. You had scattered sand.
ils ils avaient clairsemé Ils avaient clairsemé des cailloux. They had scattered pebbles.
elles elles avaient clairsemé Elles avaient clairsemé des confettis. They had scattered confetti.

Other Conjugations for Clairsemer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clairsemer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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