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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dandiner

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The English translation of the French verb dandiner is “to sway” or “to waddle”.

The infinitive form of dandiner is pronounced as “dahn-dee-nay”.

The word dandiner originated from the Old French word “dandin” which means “awkward or unsteady movement”. In everyday French, dandiner is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action.

Three simple examples of dandiner in the Plus-que-parfait tense are:

1) J’avais dandiné sur la piste de danse avant que tu n’arrives. (I had swayed on the dance floor before you arrived)
2) Elle avait dandiné joyeusement en écoutant de la musique. (She had swayed happily while listening to music)
3) Les enfants avaient dandiné en chantant des chansons. (The children had waddled while singing songs)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais dandiné J’avais dandiné au rythme de la musique. I had swayed to the rhythm of the music.
tu tu avais dandiné Tu avais dandiné en écoutant la chanson. You had swayed while listening to the song.
il il avait dandiné Il avait dandiné en dansant. He had swayed while dancing.
elle elle avait dandiné Elle avait dandiné en chantant. She had swayed while singing.
on on avait dandiné On avait dandiné en se promenant. One had swayed while walking.
nous nous avions dandiné Nous avions dandiné tout l’après-midi. We had swayed all afternoon.
vous vous aviez dandiné Vous aviez dandiné sur la piste de danse. You had swayed on the dance floor.
ils ils avaient dandiné Ils avaient dandiné en discutant. They had swayed while chatting.
elles elles avaient dandiné Elles avaient dandiné en riant. They had swayed while laughing.

Other Conjugations for Dandiner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dandiner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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