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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb mésestimer

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The English translation of the French verb mésestimer is “to underestimate.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “may-seh-stee-meh.”

The word mésestimer has a Latin origin, derived from the verb “miserari” which means “to have pity, to feel sorry for.” In modern French, it is most 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 action in the past.

Examples:

  1. J’avais mésestimé mes compétences et j’avais échoué à l’examen. (I had underestimated my skills and I had failed the exam.)

  2. Tu avais mésestimé l’importance de cette réunion et tu n’avais pas assisté. (You had underestimated the importance of this meeting and you had not attended.)

  3. Les employés avaient mésestimé la gravité de la situation et avaient continué à travailler normalement. (The employees had underestimated the seriousness of the situation and had continued to work normally.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais mésestimé J’avais mésestimé ses capacités. I had underestimated his abilities.
tu tu avais mésestimé Tu avais mésestimé son influence. You had underestimated his influence.
il il avait mésestimé Il avait mésestimé sa valeur. He had underestimated his worth.
elle elle avait mésestimé Elle avait mésestimé son importance. She had underestimated her importance.
on on avait mésestimé On avait mésestimé sa contribution. One had underestimated his contribution.
nous nous avions mésestimé Nous avions mésestimé sa force. We had underestimated his strength.
vous vous aviez mésestimé Vous aviez mésestimé son intelligence. You had underestimated his intelligence.
ils ils avaient mésestimé Ils avaient mésestimé son talent. They had underestimated his talent.
elles elles avaient mésestimé Elles avaient mésestimé sa capacité. They had underestimated his ability.

Other Conjugations for Mésestimer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb mésestimer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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