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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb griffonner

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The English translation of the French verb griffonner is “to scribble” or “to scrawl.” The infinitive form, griffonner, is pronounced as “gree-fo-nay.”

The word griffonner comes from the Old French word “grifon,” meaning “to use a griffin pen.” It is derived from the Latin word “griffo,” which refers to a style of pen with a curved or bent tip. In modern French, griffonner is most commonly used in its figurative sense to describe hurried, messy or careless writing.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, griffonner is used to describe an action that had been completed before another past action. For example:

  1. J’avais griffonné une liste d’épicerie avant de partir au supermarché. (I had scribbled a grocery list before going to the supermarket.)
  2. Nous avions griffonné des notes pendant le cours de français. (We had scribbled some notes during the French class.)
  3. Elle avait griffonné un numéro de téléphone sur un bout de papier avant de le perdre. (She had scribbled a phone number on a piece of paper before losing it.)

In all of these examples, the action of griffonner had been completed before the main action mentioned in the sentence. The Plus-que-parfait tense is commonly used to describe events or actions that occurred in the more distant past, often with a sense of regret or nostalgia.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais griffonné J’avais griffonné un mot sur le papier. I had scribbled a word on the paper.
tu tu avais griffonné Tu avais griffonné un dessin sur la nappe. You had scribbled a drawing on the tablecloth.
il il avait griffonné Il avait griffonné une note sur le cahier. He had scribbled a note on the notebook.
elle elle avait griffonné Elle avait griffonné un numéro sur la serviette. She had scribbled a number on the napkin.
on on avait griffonné On avait griffonné un message sur le tableau. One had scribbled a message on the board.
nous nous avions griffonné Nous avions griffonné une adresse sur l’enveloppe. We had scribbled an address on the envelope.
vous vous aviez griffonné Vous aviez griffonné un mot sur le papier. You had scribbled a word on the paper.
ils ils avaient griffonné Ils avaient griffonné une liste sur la feuille. They had scribbled a list on the paper.
elles elles avaient griffonné Elles avaient griffonné une idée sur la carte. They had scribbled an idea on the map.

Other Conjugations for Griffonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb griffonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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