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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb gronder

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of gronder. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb gronder is to scold or to reprimand. It is pronounced as “grohn-deh” in its infinitive form.

The word gronder comes from the Old French word “gron” which meant to murmur or to growl. Over time, it evolved to mean to scold or to reprimand in Modern French.

In everyday French, gronder is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to talk about actions that were completed before another action in the past. For example, “J’avais grondé mon fils avant qu’il fasse sa bêtise.” (I had scolded my son before he did his mischief.)

Here are three simple examples of how gronder is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. Elle avait grondé son chien avant qu’il ne mange ses chaussures. (She had scolded her dog before he ate her shoes.)
  2. Nous avions grondé nos enfants avant qu’ils ne fassent du bruit. (We had scolded our children before they made noise.)
  3. Ils avaient grondé leur ami avant qu’il ne parte. (They had scolded their friend before he left.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais grondé J’avais grondé mon chien. I had scolded my dog.
tu tu avais grondé Tu avais grondé ton frère. You had scolded your brother.
il il avait grondé Il avait grondé son fils. He had scolded his son.
elle elle avait grondé Elle avait grondé sa fille. She had scolded her daughter.
on on avait grondé On avait grondé le voisin. One had scolded the neighbor.
nous nous avions grondé Nous avions grondé nos enfants. We had scolded our children.
vous vous aviez grondé Vous aviez grondé vos élèves. You had scolded your students.
ils ils avaient grondé Ils avaient grondé leur chien. They had scolded their dog.
elles elles avaient grondé Elles avaient grondé leur chat. They had scolded their cat.

Other Conjugations for Gronder.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb gronder
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the gronder Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts