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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb girouetter

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The English translation of the French verb girouetter is “to whirl”, “to spin”, or “to pivot”. It is pronounced as “zhee-roo-eh-tey”, with the “ou” sound being similar to the “oo” in “book” and the “e” being silent.

Girouetter is derived from the French word “girouette”, meaning “weathervane”. It comes from the Latin word “gyro”, meaning “to turn”. In everyday French, girouetter is most often used in its infinitive form as a verb to describe something that is spinning or turning.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, girouetter is conjugated as “avais girouetté” for the first and second person singular, and “avait girouetté” for the third person singular and all plural forms. This tense is used to describe an action that had already been completed before another past event.

  1. J’avais girouetté toute la nuit avant de finalement m’endormir. (I had been tossing and turning all night before finally falling asleep.)
  2. Tu avais girouetté sur ta décision avant de te décider. (You had been indecisive before making up your mind.)
  3. Ils avaient girouetté plusieurs fois avant de choisir le bon chemin. (They had spun around several times before choosing the right path.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais girouetté J’avais girouetté au gré du vent. I had weathervaned according to the wind.
tu tu avais girouetté Tu avais girouetté en dansant. You had weathervaned while dancing.
il il avait girouetté Il avait girouetté sur le toit. He had weathervaned on the roof.
elle elle avait girouetté Elle avait girouetté avec légèreté. She had weathervaned with lightness.
on on avait girouetté On avait girouetté sur la terrasse. One had weathervaned on the terrace.
nous nous avions girouetté Nous avions girouetté au bord de la mer. We had weathervaned by the seaside.
vous vous aviez girouetté Vous aviez girouetté en voyage. You had weathervaned while traveling.
ils ils avaient girouetté Ils avaient girouetté avec l’âge. They had weathervaned with age.
elles elles avaient girouetté Elles avaient girouetté en marchant. They had weathervaned while walking.

Other Conjugations for Girouetter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb girouetter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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