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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb damner

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The English translation of the French verb damner is “to damn” or “to condemn.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “dah-mnay.”

The origin of the word damner can be traced back to the Latin word “damnare,” meaning “to inflict loss or harm.” In everyday French, damner is often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action or time reference.

Here are three simple examples of how damner is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. J’avais damné mon sort en acceptant ce travail ennuyeux.
    Translation: I had damned my fate by accepting this boring job.

  2. Tu avais damné ta réputation en racontant ces mensonges.
    Translation: You had damned your reputation by telling these lies.

  3. Elle avait damné sa famille en épousant un homme du mauvais côté de la ville.
    Translation: She had damned her family by marrying a man from the wrong side of town.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais damné J’avais damné mon ennemi. I had damned my enemy.
tu tu avais damné Tu avais damné ta famille. You had damned your family.
il il avait damné Il avait damné son âme. He had damned his soul.
elle elle avait damné Elle avait damné son mari. She had damned her husband.
on on avait damné On avait damné la ville. One had damned the city.
nous nous avions damné Nous avions damné nos ennemis. We had damned our enemies.
vous vous aviez damné Vous aviez damné la société. You had damned society.
ils ils avaient damné Ils avaient damné leur pays. They had damned their country.
elles elles avaient damné Elles avaient damné son père. They had damned their father.

Other Conjugations for Damner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb damner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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