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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb clamper

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The English translation of the French verb clamper is “to clamp.” It is pronounced as “klam-peh.”

Clamper comes from the Latin word “clamare,” which means “to cry out” or “to shout.” It entered the French language in the 17th century and is most commonly used in everyday speech to refer to physically securing or fastening something in place.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, clamper is used to indicate an action that had been completed before another action in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. J’avais clampé les roues avant de partir. (I had clamped the wheels before leaving.)
  2. Quand ils sont revenus, j’avais déjà clampé mes dossiers. (When they came back, I had already clamped my files.)
  3. Elle m’a dit qu’elle avait clampé ses cheveux pour qu’ils ne tombent pas dans le visage. (She told me she had clamped her hair so it wouldn’t fall on her face.)

In these sentences, the Plus-que-parfait tense is used to show that the clamping action had been completed before the main actions took place (leaving, coming back, and telling). The English translations also use the past perfect tense to convey the same meaning.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais clamper J’avais clamper le vélo. I had clamped the bike.
tu tu avais clamper Tu avais clamper les pneus. You had clamped the tires.
il il avait clamper Il avait clamper la roue. He had clamped the wheel.
elle elle avait clamper Elle avait clamper le sabot. She had clamped the boot.
on on avait clamper On avait clamper la voiture. One had clamped the car.
nous nous avions clamper Nous avions clamper le camion. We had clamped the truck.
vous vous aviez clamper Vous aviez clamper le scooter. You had clamped the scooter.
ils ils avaient clamper Ils avaient clamper la moto. They had clamped the motorcycle.
elles elles avaient clamper Elles avaient clamper le vélo. They had clamped the bike.

Other Conjugations for Clamper.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clamper
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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