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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb minimaliser

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The English translation of the French verb minimaliser is “to minimize” or “to play down.” It is pronounced “mee-nee-ma-lee-zay.”

The word minimaliser comes from the Latin word “minimis,” meaning “smallest” or “least.” It entered the French language in the early 15th century and has been used in its current form since the 19th century.

In everyday French, minimaliser is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which corresponds to the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past.

Here are three examples of its usage in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais minimalisé l’importance de mes compétences en informatique avant d’obtenir ce poste.
    Translation: I had played down the importance of my computer skills before getting this job.

  2. Nous avions minimalisé les risques de l’opération et nous avons été surpris par les complications.
    Translation: We had minimized the risks of the surgery and were surprised by the complications.

  3. Ils avaient minimalisé leur implication dans le projet et maintenant ils doivent en assumer les conséquences.
    Translation: They had downplayed their involvement in the project and now they have to face the consequences.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais minimisé J’avais minimisé mes problèmes. I had minimized my problems.
tu tu avais minimisé Tu avais minimisé ton impact. You had minimized your impact.
il il avait minimisé Il avait minimisé les risques. He had minimized the risks.
elle elle avait minimisé Elle avait minimisé ses dépenses. She had minimized her expenses.
on on avait minimisé On avait minimisé la situation. One had minimized the situation.
nous nous avions minimisé Nous avions minimisé nos erreurs. We had minimized our mistakes.
vous vous aviez minimisé Vous aviez minimisé le problème. You had minimized the problem.
ils ils avaient minimisé Ils avaient minimisé leurs efforts. They had minimized their efforts.
elles elles avaient minimisé Elles avaient minimisé les résultats. They had minimized the results.

Other Conjugations for Minimaliser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb minimaliser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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