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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb fermer

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of fermer. 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 fermer is “to close.” The infinitive form of fermer is pronounced as “fehr-may.”

The language origin of fermer can be traced back to the Latin word “firmāre,” meaning “to make firm or solid.” It then evolved into the Old French word “fermir” before eventually becoming “fermer” in modern French.

In everyday French, the verb fermer is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that took place before another action in the past.

  1. J’avais fermé la porte avant de sortir. (I had closed the door before going out.)

  2. Tu avais fermé les fenêtres avant qu’il ne pleuve. (You had closed the windows before it rained.)

  3. Elle avait fermé son livre quand j’ai frappé à la porte. (She had closed her book when I knocked on the door.)

  4. I had closed the door before going out.

  5. You had closed the windows before it rained.

  6. She had closed her book when I knocked on the door.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais fermé J’avais fermé la porte. I had closed the door.
tu tu avais fermé Tu avais fermé la fenêtre. You had closed the window.
il il avait fermé Il avait fermé la boîte. He had closed the box.
elle elle avait fermé Elle avait fermé la porte. She had closed the door.
on on avait fermé On avait fermé le magasin. One had closed the store.
nous nous avions fermé Nous avions fermé la porte. We had closed the door.
vous vous aviez fermé Vous aviez fermé le volet. You had closed the shutter.
ils ils avaient fermé Ils avaient fermé le rideau. They had closed the curtain.
elles elles avaient fermé Elles avaient fermé la fenêtre. They had closed the window.

Other Conjugations for Fermer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fermer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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 fermer Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts