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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb louvoyer

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The English translation of the French verb louvoyer is “to tack” or “to zigzag.” It is pronounced “loo-vwa-yey” in its infinitive form.

The word “louvoyer” comes from the French word “louvoi,” which means “zigzag.” It originated in the 17th century, and its use in everyday French is most often associated with sailing and boating. In this context, it refers to the act of maneuvering a boat in a zigzag pattern to navigate through difficult or narrow waters.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, louvoyer is used to describe an action that was ongoing or repeated in the past. It is formed by using the imperfect tense of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” (depending on the main verb) followed by the past participle of louvoyer.

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

  1. J’avais louvoyé toute la journée pour éviter les rochers. (I had been tacking all day to avoid the rocks.)

  2. Il était louvoyé pendant des heures avant de trouver un bon endroit pour amarrer le bateau. (He had been zigzagging for hours before finding a good place to moor the boat.)

  3. Nous avions louvoyé plusieurs fois avant de réussir à entrer dans le port. (We had tacked several times before managing to enter the harbor.)

In all of these examples, the action of louvoyer was ongoing or repeated in the past, and it is used to provide context or background information for another action or event.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais louvoyé J’avais louvoyé pour éviter les obstacles. I had tacked to avoid the obstacles.
tu tu avais louvoyé Tu avais louvoyé pour atteindre la rive. You had tacked to reach the shore.
il il avait louvoyé Il avait louvoyé pour éviter les rochers. He had tacked to avoid the rocks.
elle elle avait louvoyé Elle avait louvoyé pour se rapprocher du rivage. She had tacked to get closer to the shore.
on on avait louvoyé On avait louvoyé pour trouver une place. One had tacked to find a spot.
nous nous avions louvoyé Nous avions louvoyé pour rejoindre le port. We had tacked to reach the port.
vous vous aviez louvoyé Vous aviez louvoyé pour éviter les courants. You had tacked to avoid the currents.
ils ils avaient louvoyé Ils avaient louvoyé pour contourner l’île. They had tacked to go around the island.
elles elles avaient louvoyé Elles avaient louvoyé pour naviguer en eau profonde. They had tacked to sail in deep water.

Other Conjugations for Louvoyer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb louvoyer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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