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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb caracoler

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The English translation of the French verb caracoler is “to prance” or “to cavort.” It is pronounced as “kah-rah-koh-leh.”

The origin of the word “caracoler” can be traced back to the Italian word “caracolare,” which means “to leap or bound.” It entered the French language in the 16th century and originally referred to the movements of a horse.

In everyday French, caracoler is most often used in the plus-que-parfait tense, which indicates an action that had already been completed in the past at a specific point in time. Some examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Il avait caracolé sur la piste de danse toute la soirée. (He had pranced on the dance floor all evening.)
  2. Nous avions caracolé dans les rues de Paris pendant des heures. (We had cavorted through the streets of Paris for hours.)
  3. Les chevaux avaient caracolé sur le terrain avant la course. (The horses had pranced on the field before the race.)

Overall, caracoler is used to describe a lively and energetic movement or activity, often with a sense of playfulness or joy. It is commonly used in the context of dancing, horseback riding, or any other type of movement that involves leaping or bounding.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais caracolé J’avais caracolé sur mon cheval. I had pranced on my horse.
tu tu avais caracolé Tu avais caracolé devant la foule. You had pranced in front of the crowd.
il il avait caracolé Il avait caracolé avec grâce. He had pranced gracefully.
elle elle avait caracolé Elle avait caracolé sur scène. She had pranced on stage.
on on avait caracolé On avait caracolé dans le parc. One had pranced in the park.
nous nous avions caracolé Nous avions caracolé à travers les champs. We had pranced through the fields.
vous vous aviez caracolé Vous aviez caracolé en selle. You had pranced on horseback.
ils ils avaient caracolé Ils avaient caracolé sur le chemin. They had pranced on the road.
elles elles avaient caracolé Elles avaient caracolé en rythme. They had pranced in rhythm.

Other Conjugations for Caracoler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caracoler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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