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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb mâchouiller

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The English translation of the French verb mâchouiller is “to chew” or “to munch.” It is pronounced “mah-shwee-yay.”

The language origin of mâchouiller can be traced back to the Old French word “machoiller,” which means “to gnaw” or “to chew.” It is a combination of the word “mâcher” (to chew) and the diminutive suffix “-ouiller.” In modern French, it is used as a colloquial term to describe the act of chewing or munching on something.

In everyday French, mâchouiller 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 in the past before another past action. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the imparfait tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Here are three simple examples of mâchouiller used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, with their English translations:

  1. J’avais mâchouillé un chewing-gum avant de partir au travail. (I had chewed a gum before leaving for work.)
  2. Elle était déjà partie lorsque j’ai mâchouillé mon sandwich. (She had already left when I was munching on my sandwich.)
  3. Ils avaient mâchouillé des bonbons toute la soirée. (They had been munching on candies all evening.)

In these examples, we can see that mâchouiller is used in the past perfect tense to describe an action that was completed before another past action. It is often used to add more details or to set the scene in a story.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais mâchouillé J’avais mâchouillé mon stylo. I had chewed on my pen.
tu tu avais mâchouillé Tu avais mâchouillé ton chewing-gum. You had chewed on your gum.
il il avait mâchouillé Il avait mâchouillé sa nourriture. He had chewed on his food.
elle elle avait mâchouillé Elle avait mâchouillé son crayon. She had chewed on her pencil.
on on avait mâchouillé On avait mâchouillé du chewing-gum. One had chewed on some gum.
nous nous avions mâchouillé Nous avions mâchouillé nos bonbons. We had chewed on our candies.
vous vous aviez mâchouillé Vous aviez mâchouillé votre stylo. You had chewed on your pen.
ils ils avaient mâchouillé Ils avaient mâchouillé des cacahuètes. They had chewed on some peanuts.
elles elles avaient mâchouillé Elles avaient mâchouillé leur chewing-gum. They had chewed on their gum.

Other Conjugations for Mâchouiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb mâchouiller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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