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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb grappiller

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The English translation of the French verb grappiller is “to gather or pick little by little.” It is pronounced as “grah-pee-yay.”

The word grappiller is a derivative of the French noun “grappe” which means “cluster” or “bunch,” and the suffix “-iller” which is often used to indicate a repetitive action. It is most often used in everyday French to refer to the action of collecting small or leftover items.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, grappiller is used to express an action that was completed before another action in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. J’avais grappillé quelques raisins avant de partir. (I had picked a few grapes before leaving.)
  2. Elle avait grappillé des informations en écoutant aux portes. (She had gathered information by eavesdropping.)
  3. Ils avaient grappillé quelques pièces de monnaie dans la fontaine. (They had collected a few coins from the fountain.)

Overall, grappiller is a common verb used in everyday French to describe the action of gathering or picking small things little by little. It is often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to indicate an action that was completed before another past action.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais grappillé J’avais grappillé des fruits. I had picked some fruit.
tu tu avais grappillé Tu avais grappillé quelques légumes. You had gathered some vegetables.
il il avait grappillé Il avait grappillé des fleurs. He had collected some flowers.
elle elle avait grappillé Elle avait grappillé des champignons. She had foraged for some mushrooms.
on on avait grappillé On avait grappillé des herbes. One had gathered some herbs.
nous nous avions grappillé Nous avions grappillé des baies. We had gathered some berries.
vous vous aviez grappillé Vous aviez grappillé des noix. You had gathered some nuts.
ils ils avaient grappillé Ils avaient grappillé des branches. They had collected some branches.
elles elles avaient grappillé Elles avaient grappillé des feuilles. They had gathered some leaves.

Other Conjugations for Grappiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb grappiller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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