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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb clamser

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The English translation of the French verb clamser is “to die” or “to pass away.” The infinitive form, clamser, is pronounced as [klam.se].

The origin of clamser comes from the Old French word “clamser” meaning “to close with a latch.” Over time, the meaning evolved to refer to the closing of one’s eyes in death.

In everyday French, clamser is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to describe an action that had already been completed in the past before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Plus-que-parfait tense, with the respective English translations:

  1. Ils étaient déjà clamser quand je suis arrivé à l’hôpital. (They had already died when I arrived at the hospital.)
  2. Elle avait clamser avant de pouvoir réaliser son rêve de visiter l’Asie. (She had passed away before she could fulfill her dream of visiting Asia.)
  3. Nous avions clamser toutes les bouteilles de champagne avant que les invités arrivent. (We had finished all the champagne bottles before the guests arrived.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’étais clamser J’étais clamser depuis une heure. I had passed away for an hour.
tu tu étais clamser Tu étais clamser depuis longtemps. You had passed away for a long time.
il il était clamser Il était clamser depuis des années. He had passed away for years.
elle elle était clamser Elle était clamser depuis un moment. She had passed away for a while.
on on était clamser On était clamser depuis un siècle. One had passed away for a century.
nous nous étions clamser Nous étions clamser depuis la nuit. We had passed away since the night.
vous vous étiez clamser Vous étiez clamser depuis midi. You had passed away since noon.
ils ils étaient clamser Ils étaient clamser depuis le matin. They had passed away since morning.
elles elles étaient clamser Elles étaient clamser depuis midi. They had passed away since noon.

Other Conjugations for Clamser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clamser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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