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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb jalonner

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The English translation of the French verb jalonner is “to mark out” or “to stake out”. It is pronounced as “zhuh-loh-nay” in its infinitive form.

Jalonner comes from the word “jalons”, which means “milestones” or “markers”. It is derived from the Old French word “galon”, meaning “a long stick or pole”. This verb is most often used in everyday French to indicate the action of marking out a path or boundaries.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense (Past Perfect tense), jalonner is used to describe an action that had been completed before another past action took place. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. J’avais jalonné le terrain avant que les ouvriers n’arrivent. (I had marked out the field before the workers arrived.)

  2. Il avait jalonné son parcours en avance pour éviter de se perdre. (He had staked out his route in advance to avoid getting lost.)

  3. Nous avions jalonné les frontières du pays avant de le traverser. (We had marked out the country’s borders before crossing it.)

In these examples, the action of jalonner (marking out/staking out) was completed before another past action took place. The Plus-que-parfait tense is often used to add depth and context to a narrative in French.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais jalonné J’avais jalonné le chemin. I had marked the path.
tu tu avais jalonné Tu avais jalonné la route. You had marked the road.
il il avait jalonné Il avait jalonné le parcours. He had marked the route.
elle elle avait jalonné Elle avait jalonné la piste. She had marked the trail.
on on avait jalonné On avait jalonné la randonnée. One had marked the hike.
nous nous avions jalonné Nous avions jalonné le sentier. We had marked the path.
vous vous aviez jalonné Vous aviez jalonné le circuit. You had marked the circuit.
ils ils avaient jalonné Ils avaient jalonné le parcours. They had marked the route.
elles elles avaient jalonné Elles avaient jalonné la voie. They had marked the way.

Other Conjugations for Jalonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb jalonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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