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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb godailler

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The English translation of the French verb godailler is “to chatter” or “to babble.” It is pronounced as “go-dye-yay.”

The language origin of godailler is from the Old French word “godaillier,” which comes from the word “goda,” meaning “foolish talk” or “empty talk.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense.

Three simple examples of its usage in the Plus-que-parfait tense with their English translations are:

  1. J’avais godaillé toute la journée avant de me rendre compte que j’avais oublié ma réunion. (I had been chattering all day before realizing that I had forgotten my meeting.)
  2. Tu avais godaillé pendant des heures, sans remarquer que personne ne t’écoutait. (You had been babbling for hours, without realizing that no one was listening to you.)
  3. Ils avaient godaillé toute la soirée, jusqu’à ce que je leur demande de se taire. (They had been chattering all evening, until I asked them to be quiet.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais godaillé J’avais godaillé toute la journée. I had been goofing off all day.
tu tu avais godaillé Tu avais godaillé au lieu de travailler. You had been goofing off instead of working.
il il avait godaillé Il avait godaillé en classe. He had been goofing off in class.
elle elle avait godaillé Elle avait godaillé au lieu de faire ses devoirs. She had been goofing off instead of doing her homework.
on on avait godaillé On avait godaillé au lieu d’étudier. One had been goofing off instead of studying.
nous nous avions godaillé Nous avions godaillé au lieu de travailler. We had been goofing off instead of working.
vous vous aviez godaillé Vous aviez godaillé toute la journée. You had been goofing off all day.
ils ils avaient godaillé Ils avaient godaillé en classe. They had been goofing off in class.
elles elles avaient godaillé Elles avaient godaillé au lieu de faire leurs devoirs. They had been goofing off instead of doing their homework.

Other Conjugations for Godailler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb godailler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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