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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb coiffer

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The English translation of the French verb coiffer is “to style” or “to do someone’s hair”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “kwa-fay”.

The language origin of coiffer can be traced back to the Latin word “cooperire”, meaning “to cover”, which later evolved into the Old French word “coffre” meaning “to dress the hair”.

In everyday French, coiffer is often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to describe an action that was completed before another past action. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of coiffer.

Here are three simple examples of coiffer in the Plus-que-parfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Elle avait coiffé ses cheveux avant d’aller au travail. (She had styled her hair before going to work.)
  2. Nous avions déjà coiffé le bébé quand il s’est réveillé. (We had already done the baby’s hair when he woke up.)
  3. Ils avaient coiffé leurs invités avant l’arrivée du photographe. (They had styled their guests’ hair before the photographer arrived.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais coiffé J’avais coiffé mes cheveux. I had styled my hair.
tu tu avais coiffé Tu avais coiffé ta sœur. You had styled your sister’s hair.
il il avait coiffé Il avait coiffé sa barbe. He had trimmed his beard.
elle elle avait coiffé Elle avait coiffé ses cheveux. She had done her hair.
on on avait coiffé On avait coiffé le chien. One had groomed the dog.
nous nous avions coiffé Nous avions coiffé nos amis. We had styled our friends’ hair.
vous vous aviez coiffé Vous aviez coiffé vos enfants. You had done your children’s hair.
ils ils avaient coiffé Ils avaient coiffé leur chien. They had groomed their dog.
elles elles avaient coiffé Elles avaient coiffé leurs cheveux. They had done their hair.

Other Conjugations for Coiffer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coiffer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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