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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dauber

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of dauber. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb dauber is “to smear” or “to dab”. It is pronounced as “doh-bay”.

The origin of the word dauber can be traced back to the Latin word “dealbare” which means “to whitewash”. In everyday French, it is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to describe an action that had been completed in the past before another action took place.

Here are three examples of its usage in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais daubé le mur avant que mes parents n’arrivent. (I had smeared the wall before my parents arrived.)
  2. Elle avait daubé sa robe avec du rouge à lèvres avant de sortir. (She had dabbed her dress with lipstick before going out.)
  3. Nous avions daubé nos visages avec de la boue pour nous camoufler. (We had smeared our faces with mud to camouflage ourselves.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais daubé J’avais daubé la toile. I had painted the canvas.
tu tu avais daubé Tu avais daubé le mur. You had painted the wall.
il il avait daubé Il avait daubé le plafond. He had painted the ceiling.
elle elle avait daubé Elle avait daubé le sol. She had painted the floor.
on on avait daubé On avait daubé le meuble. One had painted the furniture.
nous nous avions daubé Nous avions daubé la porte. We had painted the door.
vous vous aviez daubé Vous aviez daubé la chaise. You had painted the chair.
ils ils avaient daubé Ils avaient daubé le tableau. They had painted the painting.
elles elles avaient daubé Elles avaient daubé la sculpture. They had painted the sculpture.

Other Conjugations for Dauber.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dauber
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the dauber Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts