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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb proclamer

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The English translation of the French verb proclamer is “to proclaim” or “to declare.” It is pronounced as [pro-cla-may] in its infinitive form.

The word proclamer comes from the Latin word “proclamare” meaning “to make public” or “to cry out.” It is most often used in everyday French as a formal or official way of announcing or declaring something.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, proclamer is used to talk about an action that had already been completed in the past before another action took place. For example:

  1. J’avais proclamé ma décision avant qu’il ne vienne me voir.
    (I had proclaimed my decision before he came to see me.)

  2. Elle avait proclamé son innocence, mais personne ne la croyait.
    (She had declared her innocence, but no one believed her.)

  3. Les manifestants avaient proclamé leur mécontentement en criant des slogans.
    (The protesters had proclaimed their discontent by shouting slogans.)

In each of these examples, the action of proclaiming had already taken place before the other action in the sentence. In English, this tense is translated as “had proclaimed” or “had declared.”

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais proclamé J’avais proclamé mon discours. I had proclaimed my speech.
tu tu avais proclamé Tu avais proclamé tes opinions. You had proclaimed your opinions.
il il avait proclamé Il avait proclamé la loi. He had proclaimed the law.
elle elle avait proclamé Elle avait proclamé sa décision. She had proclaimed her decision.
on on avait proclamé On avait proclamé la nouvelle. One had proclaimed the news.
nous nous avions proclamé Nous avions proclamé la victoire. We had proclaimed the victory.
vous vous aviez proclamé Vous aviez proclamé l’accord. You had proclaimed the agreement.
ils ils avaient proclamé Ils avaient proclamé leur indépendance. They had proclaimed their independence.
elles elles avaient proclamé Elles avaient proclamé leur amour. They had proclaimed their love.

Other Conjugations for Proclamer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb proclamer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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