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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb geler

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The English translation of the French verb geler is “to freeze” or “to become frozen.” It is pronounced as “zheh-lay” in its infinitive form.

The word geler comes from the Latin word “gelare” which also means “to freeze.” It is most often used as a transitive verb in everyday French, meaning that it requires a direct object. In the Plus-que-parfait tense, geler is used to describe an action that had been completed before another action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of geler in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais gelé l’eau avant de la mettre au réfrigérateur. (I had frozen the water before putting it in the fridge.)

  2. Nous avions gelé nos pieds en marchant dans la neige. (We had frozen our feet while walking in the snow.)

  3. Les routes avaient gelé pendant la nuit et nous ne pouvions pas conduire. (The roads had frozen overnight and we couldn’t drive.)

In all these examples, geler is used to describe an action that had already been completed before another action in the past. It is commonly used in everyday French when talking about weather conditions or frozen objects.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais gelé J’avais gelé la bouteille d’eau. I had frozen the water bottle.
tu tu avais gelé Tu avais gelé les légumes. You had frozen the vegetables.
il il avait gelé Il avait gelé la rue. He had frozen the street.
elle elle avait gelé Elle avait gelé son cœur. She had frozen her heart.
on on avait gelé On avait gelé le lac. One had frozen the lake.
nous nous avions gelé Nous avions gelé les fruits. We had frozen the fruits.
vous vous aviez gelé Vous aviez gelé le repas. You had frozen the meal.
ils ils avaient gelé Ils avaient gelé la rivière. They had frozen the river.
elles elles avaient gelé Elles avaient gelé la glace. They had frozen the ice.

Other Conjugations for Geler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb geler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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