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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb gabouiller

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The English translation of the French verb gabouiller is “to slobber.” It is pronounced as “gah-boo-yay.”

The verb gabouiller comes from the Old French word “gabouillier” which means “to make a mess.” It is most often used in everyday French to describe someone or something that is drooling or slobbering, typically in a messy or excessive manner.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, gabouiller is used to describe an action that had been completed in the past before another action took place. For example:

  1. Je me suis réveillé ce matin et j’ai remarqué que mon chien avait gabouillé sur mon lit pendant la nuit. (I woke up this morning and noticed that my dog had slobbered on my bed during the night.)

  2. Nous étions déjà en retard pour le dîner lorsque mon bébé a commencé à gabouiller son repas sur la table. (We were already late for dinner when my baby started slobbering his meal all over the table.)

  3. Vous aviez déjà nettoyé le sol quand j’ai vu le chien de mon voisin gabouiller sur mon tapis. (You had already cleaned the floor when I saw my neighbor’s dog slobbering on my rug.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais gâbouillé J’avais gâbouillé avec de la peinture. I had smeared with paint.
tu tu avais gâbouillé Tu avais gâbouillé sur ton visage. You had smeared on your face.
il il avait gâbouillé Il avait gâbouillé sur son chemisier. He had smeared on his blouse.
elle elle avait gâbouillé Elle avait gâbouillé sur sa robe. She had smeared on her dress.
on on avait gâbouillé On avait gâbouillé sur le sol. One had smeared on the floor.
nous nous avions gâbouillé Nous avions gâbouillé sur les murs. We had smeared on the walls.
vous vous aviez gâbouillé Vous aviez gâbouillé sur vos mains. You had smeared on your hands.
ils ils avaient gâbouillé Ils avaient gâbouillé sur leurs vêtements. They had smeared on their clothes.
elles elles avaient gâbouillé Elles avaient gâbouillé sur leur visage. They had smeared on their faces.

Other Conjugations for Gabouiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb gabouiller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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