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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb clapoter

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The English translation of the French verb clapoter is “to splash,” or “to lap against.” It is pronounced “klah-po-tay.”

The origin of the word clapoter comes from the onomatopoeic word “clapot,” which is the sound of water splashing or lapping against something. It is most often used in everyday French to describe the action of water splashing or lapping against a surface, such as a shore or a boat.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English, clapoter is used to describe an action that had already happened in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. Nous avions clapoté au bord de la rivière toute la journée. (We had splashed at the edge of the river all day long.)
  2. Les vagues avaient clapoté contre la coque du bateau toute la nuit. (The waves had lapped against the hull of the boat all night.)
  3. J’avais entendu le clapotis de l’eau alors que je me promenais le long de la plage. (I had heard the splashing of the water as I walked along the beach.)

In all of these examples, the action of clapoter had already happened before a specific point in the past, and was continuing for a certain period of time. The Plus-que-parfait tense is often used to describe events or actions that occurred before another event or action in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais clapoté J’avais clapoté dans l’eau. I had splashed in the water.
tu tu avais clapoté Tu avais clapoté avec tes mains. You had splashed with your hands.
il il avait clapoté Il avait clapoté sur les rochers. He had splashed on the rocks.
elle elle avait clapoté Elle avait clapoté sous la pluie. She had splashed in the rain.
on on avait clapoté On avait clapoté dans la piscine. One had splashed in the pool.
nous nous avions clapoté Nous avions clapoté dans les flaques. We had splashed in the puddles.
vous vous aviez clapoté Vous aviez clapoté en riant. You had splashed while laughing.
ils ils avaient clapoté Ils avaient clapoté dans la rivière. They had splashed in the river.
elles elles avaient clapoté Elles avaient clapoté avec leurs pieds. They had splashed with their feet.

Other Conjugations for Clapoter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb clapoter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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