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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb condamner

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of condamner. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb condamner is “to condemn.” It is pronounced as “kohn-dahm-nay.”

The word condamner comes from the Latin word “condemnare,” meaning “to blame.” It is a regular -er verb and is most often used in everyday French to express disapproval or a negative judgment towards someone or something.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, condamner is used to talk about an action or event that had already been completed before another past action. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the imparfait tense followed by the past participle “condamné.”

Here are three examples of condamner in the Plus-que-parfait tense, with their English translations:

  1. J’avais condamné cette décision avant même de l’avoir étudiée. (I had condemned this decision before even studying it.)
  2. Quand il est entré dans le bureau, elle avait déjà été condamnée par tous ses collègues. (When he entered the office, she had already been condemned by all her colleagues.)
  3. Nous avions condamné le film sans même l’avoir vu. (We had condemned the movie without even seeing it.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais condamné J’avais condamné le coupable. I had condemned the guilty person.
tu tu avais condamné Tu avais condamné le criminel. You had condemned the criminal.
il il avait condamné Il avait condamné le meurtrier. He had condemned the murderer.
elle elle avait condamné Elle avait condamné l’accusé. She had condemned the accused.
on on avait condamné On avait condamné le malfaiteur. One had condemned the wrongdoer.
nous nous avions condamné Nous avions condamné l’assassin. We had condemned the assassin.
vous vous aviez condamné Vous aviez condamné le voleur. You had condemned the thief.
ils ils avaient condamné Ils avaient condamné le tricheur. They had condemned the cheater.
elles elles avaient condamné Elles avaient condamné le fraudeur. They had condemned the fraudster.

Other Conjugations for Condamner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb condamner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the condamner Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts