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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb défenestrer

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The English translation of the French verb défenestrer is “to throw out of a window” or “to defenestrate.” The infinitive form of défenestrer is pronounced “day-feh-nes-tray.”

Défenestrer comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-“, meaning “out” or “from,” and the noun “fenêtre,” meaning “window.” Literally, it means “to throw out of a window.” It first appeared in the French language in the late 16th century and has been used in its current form since the 19th century.

In everyday French, défenestrer is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which corresponds to the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to talk about an action that was completed before another action in the past. In this tense, défenestrer is conjugated as follows:

j’avais défenestré
tu avais défenestré
il/elle avait défenestré
nous avions défenestré
vous aviez défenestré
ils/elles avaient défenestré

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

  1. J’avais défenestré mon téléphone avant de partir. (I had thrown my phone out of the window before leaving.)
  2. Tu avais défenestré tes devoirs, c’est pour ça que tu as eu une mauvaise note. (You had thrown your homework out of the window, that’s why you got a bad grade.)
  3. Ils avaient défenestré le chat par accident. (They had accidentally thrown the cat out of the window.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais défenestré J’avais défenestré ma télévision. I had thrown my television out the window.
tu tu avais défenestré Tu avais défenestré le vase. You had thrown the vase out the window.
il il avait défenestré Il avait défenestré son ordinateur. He had thrown his computer out the window.
elle elle avait défenestré Elle avait défenestré sa chaise. She had thrown her chair out the window.
on on avait défenestré On avait défenestré les livres. One had thrown the books out the window.
nous nous avions défenestré Nous avions défenestré la table. We had thrown the table out the window.
vous vous aviez défenestré Vous aviez défenestré le canapé. You had thrown the couch out the window.
ils ils avaient défenestré Ils avaient défenestré l’ordinateur. They had thrown the computer out the window.
elles elles avaient défenestré Elles avaient défenestré le vase. They had thrown the vase out the window.

Other Conjugations for Défenestrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défenestrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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