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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déparler

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The English translation of the French verb déparler is “to speak badly of/to badmouth”. The infinitive form, déparler, is pronounced as “day-par-lay”.

Déparler comes from the Latin word “disparlare”, which means “to speak against”. It entered the French language in the 13th century and was predominantly used in the sense of “to criticize” or “to slander”. In modern French, it is still used in this way, but it can also mean “to gossip” or “to spread rumors”.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, déparler is used to describe an action that occurred before another action in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. J’avais déparlé de lui avant de le connaître davantage. (I had spoken badly of him before getting to know him better.)
  2. Nous avions déparlé du voisinage et de ses querelles avant qu’il ne vienne se plaindre chez nous. (We had badmouthed the neighborhood and its quarrels before he came to complain to us.)
  3. Les journalistes avaient déparlé de l’actrice, mais elle a prouvé qu’elle méritait son succès. (The journalists had criticized the actress, but she proved that she deserved her success.)

In each of these examples, the action of déparler (speaking badly) happened before another past action (getting to know him, him coming to complain, and her proving herself).

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais déparlé J’avais déparlé de mon voisin. I had spoken badly of my neighbor.
tu tu avais déparlé Tu avais déparlé de ta collègue. You had talked badly about your colleague.
il il avait déparlé Il avait déparlé de son ami. He had spoken badly of his friend.
elle elle avait déparlé Elle avait déparlé de sa cousine. She had spoken badly of her cousin.
on on avait déparlé On avait déparlé de la situation. One had talked badly about the situation.
nous nous avions déparlé Nous avions déparlé de nos amis. We had spoken badly of our friends.
vous vous aviez déparlé Vous aviez déparlé de votre voisine. You had talked badly about your neighbor.
ils ils avaient déparlé Ils avaient déparlé de leur voisin. They had spoken badly of their neighbor.
elles elles avaient déparlé Elles avaient déparlé de leur patronne. They had talked badly about their boss.

Other Conjugations for Déparler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déparler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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