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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dérider

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The English translation of the French verb dérider is “to make someone laugh” or “to cheer someone up”. The infinitive form is pronounced “day-ree-day”.

The word dérider comes from the combination of the prefix “de-” (meaning “undo” or “reverse”) and the verb “ridere” from Latin (meaning “to laugh”). It entered the French language in the 16th century and has been used in everyday conversation to refer to the act of making someone laugh or cheering them up.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, dérider is used to describe an action that had been completed before another past action. It is formed by conjugating the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the imperfect tense and adding the past participle “dérider” after it. For example:

  1. J’avais déridé mon ami avant qu’il ne parte. (I had cheered up my friend before he left.)

  2. Tu avais déridé ta sœur quand elle était triste. (You had made your sister laugh when she was sad.)

  3. Il avait déridé ses collègues avec une blague. (He had cheered up his colleagues with a joke.)

In these examples, dérider is used to describe an action that had been completed in the past and had an impact on the present moment. It is often used in informal conversations to describe the act of making someone laugh or feel better in a lighthearted way.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais déridé J’avais déridé mon visage. I had smoothed out my face.
tu tu avais déridé Tu avais déridé ton pull. You had smoothed out your sweater.
il il avait déridé Il avait déridé sa cravate. He had smoothed out his tie.
elle elle avait déridé Elle avait déridé ses cheveux. She had smoothed out her hair.
on on avait déridé On avait déridé son front. One had smoothed out one’s forehead.
nous nous avions déridé Nous avions déridé notre peau. We had smoothed out our skin.
vous vous aviez déridé Vous aviez déridé vos vêtements. You had smoothed out your clothes.
ils ils avaient déridé Ils avaient déridé leur visage. They had smoothed out their faces.
elles elles avaient déridé Elles avaient déridé leur sourire. They had smoothed out their smile.

Other Conjugations for Dérider.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dérider
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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