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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb minimiser

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The English translation of the French verb minimiser is “to minimize.” The infinitive form is pronounced “mee-nee-mee-zay.”

Minimiser is derived from the Latin word minimus, meaning “smallest” or “least.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which indicates an action that had already been completed before another past action.

1) J’avais minimisé l’importance de mes études, et maintenant je le regrette. (I had minimized the importance of my studies, and now I regret it.)
2) Elle avait minimisé les risques de tomber malade, mais elle a fini par attraper un rhume. (She had minimized the risks of getting sick, but she ended up catching a cold.)
3) Nous avions minimisé nos dépenses pour économiser de l’argent, mais nous avons quand même dû demander un prêt. (We had minimized our expenses to save money, but we still had to ask for a loan.)

In each of these examples, the action of minimizing had already been completed before the other past action, and it often resulted in negative consequences.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais minimisé J’avais minimisé mes erreurs. I had minimized my mistakes.
tu tu avais minimisé Tu avais minimisé le problème. You had minimized the problem.
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 l’impact. One had minimized the impact.
nous nous avions minimisé Nous avions minimisé les dégâts. We had minimized the damage.
vous vous aviez minimisé Vous aviez minimisé les coûts. You had minimized the costs.
ils ils avaient minimisé Ils avaient minimisé le conflit. They had minimized the conflict.
elles elles avaient minimisé Elles avaient minimisé leurs dépenses. They had minimized their expenses.

Other Conjugations for Minimiser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb minimiser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Minimiser – 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.

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