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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cabrioler

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The English translation of the French verb cabrioler is “to caper” or “to prance”. It is pronounced as “kah-bree-oh-leh”.

The word cabrioler comes from the French word “cabri”, which means “kid” or “young goat”. The verb cabrioler originally referred to the playful and energetic movements of a young goat, but it eventually came to be used to describe the playful and lively movements of humans as well.

In everyday French, cabrioler in the Plus-que-parfait tense is used to describe an action that had already been completed in the past before another action took place.

Here are 3 simple examples of its usage in this tense, with the respective English translations:

  1. J’avais cabriolé dans les champs avant de rentrer chez moi. (I had capered in the fields before going back home.)

  2. Tu avais cabriolé sur la plage pendant que j’étais en train de lire. (You had pranced on the beach while I was reading.)

  3. Ils avaient cabriolé toute la nuit avant de s’effondrer de fatigue. (They had been capering all night before collapsing from exhaustion.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais cabriolé J’avais cabriolé dans la rue. I had skipped around in the street.
tu tu avais cabriolé Tu avais cabriolé sur la plage. You had frolicked on the beach.
il il avait cabriolé Il avait cabriolé dans le parc. He had pranced around in the park.
elle elle avait cabriolé Elle avait cabriolé dans la forêt. She had cavorted in the forest.
on on avait cabriolé On avait cabriolé dans le champ. One had played around in the field.
nous nous avions cabriolé Nous avions cabriolé dans le jardin. We had frolicked in the garden.
vous vous aviez cabriolé Vous aviez cabriolé dans le verger. You had skipped around in the orchard.
ils ils avaient cabriolé Ils avaient cabriolé dans les montagnes. They had jumped around in the mountains.
elles elles avaient cabriolé Elles avaient cabriolé dans les champs. They had skipped around in the fields.

Other Conjugations for Cabrioler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cabrioler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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