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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cailler

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The English translation of the French verb cailler is to curdle. It is pronounced as “kay-yay”.

The origin of “cailler” can be traced back to the Latin word “coagulare”, meaning to coagulate. It is most often used in everyday French in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action or event that was completed before another past action or event.

Examples:

  1. J’avais caillé le lait avant de le mettre dans le frigo. (I had curdled the milk before putting it in the fridge.)
  2. Ils avaient caillé le fromage deux semaines plus tôt. (They had curdled the cheese two weeks earlier.)
  3. Elle avait caillé la crème pour faire une tarte. (She had curdled the cream to make a pie.)

In all these examples, the action of curdling (cailler) was completed before another past action (putting the milk in the fridge, curdling the cheese, making the pie). The use of the Plus-que-parfait tense emphasizes the sequence of events in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’étais caillé J’étais caillé en sortant de la douche. I had turned to ice when getting out of the shower.
tu tu étais caillé Tu étais caillé après avoir marché dans la neige. You had turned to ice after walking in the snow.
il il était caillé Il était caillé après avoir bu un verre de lait. He had turned to ice after drinking a glass of milk.
elle elle était caillée Elle était caillée après avoir dormi à la belle étoile. She had turned to ice after sleeping under the stars.
on on était caillé On était caillé après avoir nagé dans l’eau froide. One had turned to ice after swimming in the cold water.
nous nous étions caillés Nous étions caillés après avoir fait du ski toute la journée. We had turned to ice after skiing all day.
vous vous étiez caillés Vous étiez caillés après avoir couru un marathon. You had turned to ice after running a marathon.
ils ils étaient caillés Ils étaient caillés après avoir joué dans la neige. They had turned to ice after playing in the snow.
elles elles étaient caillées Elles étaient caillées après avoir marché dans la tempête de neige. They had turned to ice after walking in the snowstorm.

Other Conjugations for Cailler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cailler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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