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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb malmener

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The English translation of the French verb malmener is “to mistreat” or “to abuse.” It is pronounced “mahl-meh-nay.”

Malmener is a regular French verb that comes from the Old French word “mahaignier,” meaning “to mistreat.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English.

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

  1. J’avais été malmené par mes camarades de classe pendant toute mon enfance. (I had been mistreated by my classmates throughout my childhood.)

  2. Elle avait été malmenée par son ex-mari pendant des années avant de le quitter. (She had been abused by her ex-husband for years before leaving him.)

  3. Les animaux ont été malmenés par les conditions météorologiques extrêmes. (The animals had been mistreated by the extreme weather conditions.)

In each of these examples, the past perfect tense is used to describe an action that had been completed before a specific point in the past. Malmener is often used in this tense to describe past instances of mistreatment or abuse.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais malmené J’avais malmené mon adversaire. I had mistreated my opponent.
tu tu avais malmené Tu avais malmené le chien. You had mistreated the dog.
il il avait malmené Il avait malmené son collègue. He had mistreated his colleague.
elle elle avait malmené Elle avait malmené son frère. She had mistreated her brother.
on on avait malmené On avait malmené le chat. One had mistreated the cat.
nous nous avions malmené Nous avions malmené le propriétaire. We had mistreated the owner.
vous vous aviez malmené Vous aviez malmené la victime. You had mistreated the victim.
ils ils avaient malmené Ils avaient malmené leur ennemi. They had mistreated their enemy.
elles elles avaient malmené Elles avaient malmené leur employé. They had mistreated their employee.

Other Conjugations for Malmener.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb malmener
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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