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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb guillocher

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The English translation of the French verb guillocher is “to guilloche.” It is pronounced ghee-yoh-shay.

The word guillocher comes from the French word “guillochis,” which refers to a decorative pattern made by engraving or cutting into a surface. This technique was commonly used on metal objects such as coins, jewelry, and watches.

In everyday French, guillocher is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to talk about an action that was completed before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of guillocher in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais guilloché la montre avant de la vendre. (I had guilloched the watch before selling it.)

  2. Elle avait guilloché les bijoux pour les rendre plus élégants. (She had guilloched the jewelry to make them more elegant.)

  3. Nous avions guilloché les couverts pour le dîner de fête. (We had guilloched the silverware for the dinner party.)

English translations:

  1. I had guilloched the watch before selling it.

  2. She had guilloched the jewelry to make them more elegant.

  3. We had guilloched the silverware for the dinner party.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais guilloché J’avais guilloché le papier. I had engraved the paper.
tu tu avais guilloché Tu avais guilloché la pièce. You had engraved the coin.
il il avait guilloché Il avait guilloché le bijou. He had engraved the jewel.
elle elle avait guilloché Elle avait guilloché l’assiette. She had engraved the plate.
on on avait guilloché On avait guilloché le cadre. One had engraved the frame.
nous nous avions guilloché Nous avions guilloché le vase. We had engraved the vase.
vous vous aviez guilloché Vous aviez guilloché le couvert. You had engraved the cutlery.
ils ils avaient guilloché Ils avaient guilloché le verre. They had engraved the glass.
elles elles avaient guilloché Elles avaient guilloché la bouteille. They had engraved the bottle.

Other Conjugations for Guillocher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb guillocher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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