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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb gambergeailler

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The English translation of the French verb gambergeailler is “to ponder, to think deeply.” The infinitive form of gambergeailler is pronounced “gahm-behr-zhe-ah-yay.”

The word gambergeailler comes from the French word “gamberger,” meaning “to think deeply or to be lost in thought.” It is a combination of the words “gambe,” which refers to the legs, and “berge,” which means “to support.” This word was first recorded in the 17th century and is derived from the older expression “gamberger sur ses jambes,” which means “to rest on one’s legs while thinking.”

In everyday French, gambergeailler is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses an action that occurred before another action in the past. This tense is formed with the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “ĂȘtre” in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb. For example, “J’avais gambergeaillĂ©” means “I had pondered.”

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

  1. Il avait gambergeaillé pendant des heures avant de prendre sa décision. (He had pondered for hours before making his decision.)

  2. Nous avions gambergeaillé sur notre avenir avant de nous marier. (We had thought deeply about our future before getting married.)

  3. Elle était arrivée à la conclusion aprÚs avoir longuement gambergeaillé. (She had come to the conclusion after pondering for a long time.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais gambergeaillĂ© J’avais gambergeaillĂ© toute la nuit. I had been pondering all night long.
tu tu avais gambergeaillé Tu avais gambergeaillé sur ton devoir. You had been fretting over your homework.
il il avait gambergeaillé Il avait gambergeaillé sur la solution. He had been mulling over the solution.
elle elle avait gambergeaillé Elle avait gambergeaillé sur la question. She had been musing over the question.
on on avait gambergeaillé On avait gambergeaillé sur le plan. One had been deliberating over the plan.
nous nous avions gambergeaillé Nous avions gambergeaillé sur notre avenir. We had been contemplating our future.
vous vous aviez gambergeaillé Vous aviez gambergeaillé sur le projet. You had been brainstorming about the project.
ils ils avaient gambergeaillé Ils avaient gambergeaillé sur la réponse. They had been puzzling over the answer.
elles elles avaient gambergeaillé Elles avaient gambergeaillé sur la décision. They had been brooding over the decision.

Other Conjugations for Gambergeailler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb gambergeailler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Gambergeailler – 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.

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