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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dodeliner

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The English translation of the French verb dodeliner is “to nod.” It is pronounced as “doh-duh-lee-nay.”

The origin of the word dodeliner can be traced back to the Latin word “dōdolāre,” which means “to sway.” It entered the French language in the 12th century and has been used ever since.

In everyday French, dodeliner is most commonly used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to talk about an action that was completed in the past before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of dodeliner in the Plus-que-parfait tense and their English translations:

  1. J’avais dodeliné de la tête quand elle a mentionné son nom. (I had nodded when she mentioned his name.)
  2. Tu avais dodeliné en signe d’approbation avant de comprendre ce qu’elle a dit. (You had nodded in agreement before understanding what she said.)
  3. Il avait dodeliné de la tête pour montrer qu’il avait compris. (He had nodded to show that he had understood.)

Note: In all three examples, the past perfect tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” (to have) conjugated in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of dodeliner (dodeliné).

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais dodeliné J’avais dodeliné de la tête. I had nodded my head.
tu tu avais dodeliné Tu avais dodeliné des épaules. You had shrugged your shoulders.
il il avait dodeliné Il avait dodeliné des jambes. He had wobbled his legs.
elle elle avait dodeliné Elle avait dodeliné du pied. She had tapped her foot.
on on avait dodeliné On avait dodeliné de la main. One had waved their hand.
nous nous avions dodeliné Nous avions dodeliné des hanches. We had swayed our hips.
vous vous aviez dodeliné Vous aviez dodeliné de la langue. You had waggled your tongue.
ils ils avaient dodeliné Ils avaient dodeliné de toute leur personne. They had wiggled their whole body.
elles elles avaient dodeliné Elles avaient dodeliné des cils. They had batted their lashes.

Other Conjugations for Dodeliner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dodeliner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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