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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb gaffer

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of gaffer. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb gaffer is “to make a mistake” or “to blunder.” It is pronounced as “GAH-feh” in its infinitive form.

The term gaffer comes from the Old French word “gaffier,” meaning “to jest” or “to mock.” It evolved in meaning to refer to someone who is careless or clumsy.

In everyday French, the verb gaffer is often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to express an action that took place before a specific past moment. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of gaffer.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Plus-que-parfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. J’avais gaffé en achetant ce cadeau. (I had made a mistake by buying this gift.)

  2. Tu étais gaffé en donnant cette réponse. (You had blundered by giving that answer.)

  3. Ils avaient gaffé en oubliant de vérifier les documents. (They had made a mistake by forgetting to check the documents.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais gaffé J’avais gaffé pendant la réunion. I had made a mistake during the meeting.
tu tu avais gaffé Tu avais gaffé en rigolant. You had goofed while laughing.
il il avait gaffé Il avait gaffé lors de l’interview. He had messed up during the interview.
elle elle avait gaffé Elle avait gaffé en faisant du sport. She had slipped up while exercising.
on on avait gaffé On avait gaffé en dansant. One had made a mistake while dancing.
nous nous avions gaffé Nous avions gaffé pendant l’examen. We had made a mistake during the exam.
vous vous aviez gaffé Vous aviez gaffé en parlant. You had made a mistake while talking.
ils ils avaient gaffé Ils avaient gaffé en cuisinant. They had goofed while cooking.
elles elles avaient gaffé Elles avaient gaffé en chantant. They had messed up while singing.

Other Conjugations for Gaffer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb gaffer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the gaffer Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts