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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb grognonner

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The English translation of the French verb grognonner is “to grumble” or “to complain.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “groh-nyoh-nay.”

Grognonner comes from the French word “grognon,” which means grumpy or grouchy. It is most often used in everyday French to describe someone who is complaining or grumbling about something.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, grognonner is used to describe an action that had been completed in the past before another past action. It is formed by conjugating the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of grognonner, which is “grognonné.”

Here are three simple examples of grognonner in the Plus-que-parfait tense and their English translations:

  1. J’avais grognonné toute la journée avant de me rendre compte que j’avais oublié mon portefeuille. (I had been grumbling all day before realizing I had forgotten my wallet.)

  2. Tu avais grognonné à propos du service médiocre avant que je t’ai présenté le chef du restaurant. (You had been complaining about the poor service before I introduced you to the restaurant’s chef.)

  3. Ils avaient grognonné de ne pas avoir été invités à la fête quand ils ont réalisé qu’ils n’avaient pas les moyens de venir. (They had complained about not being invited to the party when they realized they couldn’t afford to come.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais grognonné J’avais grognonné toute la journée. I had grumbled all day.
tu tu avais grognonné Tu avais grognonné contre le service. You had grumbled about the service.
il il avait grognonné Il avait grognonné après le bruit. He had grumbled about the noise.
elle elle avait grognonné Elle avait grognonné à cause de la chaleur. She had grumbled because of the heat.
on on avait grognonné On avait grognonné à cause des enfants. One had grumbled because of the children.
nous nous avions grognonné Nous avions grognonné pendant le trajet. We had grumbled during the trip.
vous vous aviez grognonné Vous aviez grognonné contre votre patron. You had grumbled about your boss.
ils ils avaient grognonné Ils avaient grognonné en se disputant. They had grumbled while arguing.
elles elles avaient grognonné Elles avaient grognonné toute la nuit. They had grumbled all night.

Other Conjugations for Grognonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb grognonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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