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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb fulminer

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The English translation of the French verb fulminer is “to thunder” or “to rage.” It is pronounced “fool-mee-nay” in the infinitive form.

Fulminer comes from the Latin word “fulminare” meaning “to strike with lightning.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is used to describe an action that had already been completed in the past before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of how fulminer is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense in everyday French:

  1. J’avais fulminé contre mon patron avant de démissionner.
    Translation: I had raged against my boss before resigning.

  2. Elle avait fulminé contre son mari avant de lui pardonner.
    Translation: She had raged against her husband before forgiving him.

  3. Nous avions fulminé contre le gouvernement avant que la loi ne soit annulée.
    Translation: We had thundered against the government before the law was overturned.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais fulminé J’avais fulminé contre la décision. I had raged against the decision.
tu tu avais fulminé Tu avais fulminé contre l’injustice. You had raged against the injustice.
il il avait fulminé Il avait fulminé contre l’ennemi. He had raged against the enemy.
elle elle avait fulminé Elle avait fulminé contre son patron. She had raged against her boss.
on on avait fulminé On avait fulminé contre le gouvernement. One had raged against the government.
nous nous avions fulminé Nous avions fulminé contre la mauvaise nouvelle. We had raged against the bad news.
vous vous aviez fulminé Vous aviez fulminé contre la situation. You had raged against the situation.
ils ils avaient fulminé Ils avaient fulminé contre leur équipe. They had raged against their team.
elles elles avaient fulminé Elles avaient fulminé contre leur mari. They had raged against their husband.

Other Conjugations for Fulminer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fulminer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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