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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb japonner

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The English translation of the French verb japonner is “to decorate with Japanese motifs.” It is pronounced as “zhah-poh-nay.”

The word japonner comes from the French noun “japon,” meaning Japan, and the suffix “-er” that is added to verbs to indicate action. It first appeared in the French language in the 19th century, during a time when there was a fascination with Japanese culture in Europe.

In every day French, japonner is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to describe an action that took place in the past and was completed before another past action. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Three simple examples of japonner in the Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. J’avais japonné ma chambre avant que mes parents n’arrivent. (I had decorated my room before my parents arrived.)
  2. Tu avais japonné ta cuisine pour la soirée japonaise. (You had decorated your kitchen for the Japanese party.)
  3. Il avait japonné tout l’appartement pour impressionner ses invités. (He had decorated the whole apartment to impress his guests.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais japonné J’avais japonné le dessin. I had drawn the picture.
tu tu avais japonné Tu avais japonné le paysage. You had drawn the landscape.
il il avait japonné Il avait japonné le portrait. He had drawn the portrait.
elle elle avait japonné Elle avait japonné la carte. She had drawn the map.
on on avait japonné On avait japonné la fleur. One had drawn the flower.
nous nous avions japonné Nous avions japonné le tableau. We had drawn the painting.
vous vous aviez japonné Vous aviez japonné le croquis. You had drawn the sketch.
ils ils avaient japonné Ils avaient japonné le graphique. They had drawn the graph.
elles elles avaient japonné Elles avaient japonné la carte postale. They had drawn the postcard.

Other Conjugations for Japonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb japonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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