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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb fristouiller

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The English translation of the French verb fristouiller is “to fuss/ fiddle around”. The infinitive form is pronounced “free-stoo-yay”.

The word fristouiller is derived from the Old French word “fristouil” which means “to fiddle, fuss, or trifle with something”. It is most often used in colloquial and informal French.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, fristouiller is used to indicate an action that had been completed before another past action. It is formed by conjugating the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the imparfait tense and adding the past participle of fristouiller.

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

  1. J’avais fristouillĂ© avec mes cheveux avant de sortir. (I had fiddled with my hair before going out.)
  2. Elle avait fristouillé avec les boutons de sa chemise pendant la réunion. (She had fussed with the buttons of her shirt during the meeting.)
  3. Nous avions fristouillĂ© avec les ingrĂ©dients de la recette avant de rĂ©ussir Ă  la faire. (We had fiddled around with the recipe’s ingredients before managing to make it.)

Overall, fristouiller is an informal and expressive verb that is often used to describe someone who is fidgety, restless, or fussy. It can also be used in a more playful sense to describe someone who is just tinkering with something for fun.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais fristouillĂ© J’avais fristouillĂ© dans le jardin. I had played around in the garden.
tu tu avais fristouillé Tu avais fristouillé avec tes amis. You had fooled around with your friends.
il il avait fristouillé Il avait fristouillé avec sa nourriture. He had played around with his food.
elle elle avait fristouillé Elle avait fristouillé dans la piscine. She had splashed around in the pool.
on on avait fristouillĂ© On avait fristouillĂ© dans la forĂȘt. One had explored around in the forest.
nous nous avions fristouillé Nous avions fristouillé pendant des heures. We had fooled around for hours.
vous vous aviez fristouillé Vous aviez fristouillé sur la plage. You had played around on the beach.
ils ils avaient fristouillé Ils avaient fristouillé avec leurs jouets. They had played around with their toys.
elles elles avaient fristouillé Elles avaient fristouillé dans la cour. They had fooled around in the yard.

Other Conjugations for Fristouiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fristouiller
   

    PassĂ© Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fristouiller
   

    PassĂ© ComposĂ© (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fristouiller
   

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

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

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

    PassĂ© AntĂ©rieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fristouiller

    Futur AntĂ©rieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fristouiller

    Subjonctif PrĂ©sent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fristouiller

    Subjonctif PassĂ© (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fristouiller
   

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

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

    Conditionnel PrĂ©sent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fristouiller
   

    Conditionnel PassĂ© (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fristouiller

    L’impĂ©ratif PrĂ©sent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fristouiller

    L’infinitif PrĂ©sent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fristouiller

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Fristouiller – 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 “ĂȘtre” (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 mangĂ© (I had eaten)
   – Tu avais parlĂ© (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 jouĂ© (They had played)
2. With “ĂȘtre” as the auxiliary verb (usually for intransitive verbs or verbs indicating a state):
   – J’Ă©tais parti(e) (I had left)
   – Tu Ă©tais arrivĂ©(e) (You had arrived)
   – Il/elle/on Ă©tait tombĂ©(e) (He/She/One had fallen)
   – Nous Ă©tions restĂ©(e)s (We had stayed)
   – Vous Ă©tiez nĂ©(e)(s) (You had been born)
   – Ils/elles Ă©taient montĂ©(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 mangĂ© avant qu’il ne soit arrivĂ©” (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 arrivĂ©, ils avaient dĂ©jĂ  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 passĂ© composĂ© (simple past) to establish the sequence of past events. The passĂ© composĂ© 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 diffĂ©remment” (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 fristouiller. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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