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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cafarder

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The English translation of the French verb cafarder is “to tattle” or “to inform on someone.” It is pronounced as “kah-fahr-deh” in the infinitive form.

The origin of the word “cafarder” comes from the French word “cafard,” which means “cockroach.” This verb is most often used in informal or colloquial language, and it is usually used in the Plus-que-parfait tense (past perfect tense) to talk about past actions or events that occurred before another past action or event.

Here are three examples of how “cafarder” is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais cafardé sur mon voisin à cause de ses fêtes bruyantes. (I had tattled on my neighbor because of his loud parties.)

  2. Tu avais cafardé sur ton collègue pour obtenir une promotion. (You had informed on your colleague to get a promotion.)

  3. Elles avaient cafardé sur leur professeur pour éviter une punition. (They had informed on their teacher to avoid a punishment.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais cafardé J’avais cafardé sur mes collègues. I had tattled on my colleagues.
tu tu avais cafardé Tu avais cafardé sur ton voisin. You had tattled on your neighbor.
il il avait cafardé Il avait cafardé sur sa femme. He had tattled on his wife.
elle elle avait cafardé Elle avait cafardé sur son patron. She had tattled on her boss.
on on avait cafardé On avait cafardé sur le nouveau stagiaire. One had tattled on the new intern.
nous nous avions cafardé Nous avions cafardé sur nos camarades. We had tattled on our classmates.
vous vous aviez cafardé Vous aviez cafardé sur vos amis. You had tattled on your friends.
ils ils avaient cafardé Ils avaient cafardé sur leur collègue. They had tattled on their colleague.
elles elles avaient cafardé Elles avaient cafardé sur leur patronne. They had tattled on their female boss.

Other Conjugations for Cafarder.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cafarder
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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