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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb aiguiller

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The English translation of the French verb aiguiller is “to guide” or “to direct.” The infinitive form is pronounced “ay-ghee-ay.”

Aiguiller comes from the Old French word “agulier” meaning “to needle” or “to sew.” It is most commonly used in everyday French to describe the action of guiding or directing someone or something.

In the plus-que-parfait tense, aiguiller is used to express an action that had been completed before another past action. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the imperfect tense followed by the past participle of aiguiller (aiguillé).

  1. J’avais aiguillé mon ami vers le meilleur restaurant de la ville. (I had directed my friend to the best restaurant in the city.)
  2. Elle avait aiguillé son fils vers une carrière dans la médecine. (She had guided her son towards a career in medicine.)
  3. Les employés avaient aiguillé le nouveau stagiaire vers le bureau du directeur. (The employees had directed the new intern towards the office of the director.)

These examples show how aiguiller is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action. It is often used in a professional or instructional context, but can also be used in everyday conversation.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais aiguillé J’avais aiguillé le train. I had directed the train.
tu tu avais aiguillé Tu avais aiguillé les passagers. You had directed the passengers.
il il avait aiguillé Il avait aiguillé le convoi. He had directed the convoy.
elle elle avait aiguillé Elle avait aiguillé le voyage. She had directed the journey.
on on avait aiguillé On avait aiguillé les voyageurs. One had directed the travelers.
nous nous avions aiguillé Nous avions aiguillé le train. We had directed the train.
vous vous aviez aiguillé Vous aviez aiguillé le wagon. You had directed the carriage.
ils ils avaient aiguillé Ils avaient aiguillé le trajet. They had directed the trip.
elles elles avaient aiguillé Elles avaient aiguillé la locomotive. They had directed the locomotive.

Other Conjugations for Aiguiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aiguiller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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