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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cramponner

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The English translation of the French verb cramponner is “to cling to/to hold on to”. The infinitive form, “cramponner”, is pronounced as “krahm-poh-nay”.

The word “cramponner” comes from the French word “crampon”, meaning “a claw or a hook”. It originated from the Old French word “cramponer” and has Latin roots. The verb “cramponner” is most often used in everyday French in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to describe an action that occurred before another past action or event.

Here are three examples of its usage in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’étais tellement fatigué que je m’étais cramponné au lit toute la journée. (I was so tired that I had clung to the bed all day.)
  2. Elle m’avait serré si fort dans ses bras que je m’étais cramponné à elle pour ne pas tomber. (She had hugged me so tightly that I had held on to her to not fall.)
  3. Les enfants s’étaient cramponnés à leur père pour ne pas être séparés de lui. (The children had clung to their father to not be separated from him.)

In these examples, the verb “cramponner” is used to describe an action that had already happened before another past action. In the first sentence, the action of clinging to the bed happened before the action of being tired. In the second sentence, the action of holding on to the person happened before the action of being hugged tightly. And in the third sentence, the action of clinging to their father happened before the action of being separated from him.

Overall, “cramponner” is a versatile verb that is commonly used in everyday French to describe holding on to something or someone tightly. Its origin from the word “crampon” gives it a sense of strength and determination. The Plus-que-parfait tense is often used in storytelling or narrating past events, making the verb “cramponner” a useful tool for expressing past actions that had a strong hold on someone or something.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je je m’étais cramponné Je m’étais cramponné à la barre. I had clung to the bar.
tu tu t’étais cramponné Tu t’étais cramponné à la corde. You had clung to the rope.
il il s’était cramponné Il s’était cramponné à la branche. He had clung to the branch.
elle elle s’était cramponnée Elle s’était cramponnée au rocher. She had clung to the rock.
on on s’était cramponné On s’était cramponné à la poutre. One had clung to the beam.
nous nous nous étions cramponnés Nous nous étions cramponnés au bateau. We had clung to the boat.
vous vous vous étiez cramponnés Vous vous étiez cramponnés à la corde. You had clung to the rope.
ils ils s’étaient cramponnés Ils s’étaient cramponnés à la rampe. They had clung to the railing.
elles elles s’étaient cramponnées Elles s’étaient cramponnées à la corde. They had clung to the rope.

Other Conjugations for Cramponner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cramponner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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