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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb minorer

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The English translation of the French verb minorer is “to minimize” or “to reduce.” The infinitive form of the verb is pronounced “mee-noh-ray.”

The origin of the word minorer comes from the Latin word “minuere” meaning “to make smaller” or “to lessen.” It is most commonly used in everyday French in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the equivalent to the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action.

Here are three examples of minorer in the Plus-que-parfait tense, with their English translations:

  1. J’avais minoré l’importance de cette réunion. (I had minimized the importance of this meeting.)

  2. Tu avais minoré tes efforts pour réussir. (You had reduced your efforts to succeed.)

  3. Il avait minoré le prix de la voiture. (He had lowered the price of the car.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais minoré J’avais minoré mes dépenses. I had reduced my expenses.
tu tu avais minoré Tu avais minoré ta vitesse. You had reduced your speed.
il il avait minoré Il avait minoré le prix. He had lowered the price.
elle elle avait minoré Elle avait minoré ses attentes. She had lowered her expectations.
on on avait minoré On avait minoré les dommages. One had minimized the damages.
nous nous avions minoré Nous avions minoré nos dépenses. We had reduced our expenses.
vous vous aviez minoré Vous aviez minoré vos coûts. You had lowered your costs.
ils ils avaient minoré Ils avaient minoré leurs pertes. They had reduced their losses.
elles elles avaient minoré Elles avaient minoré leurs dépenses. They had reduced their expenses.

Other Conjugations for Minorer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb minorer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Minorer – 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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