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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb marronner

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The English translation of the French verb marronner is “to sulk” or “to grumble”. In its infinitive form, it is pronounced as “mah-roh-nay”.

The word marronner is derived from the French word “marron”, which originally meant chestnut, but in colloquial language, it can also mean dark or gloomy. Marronner is most often used in spoken French to express a state of discontent or annoyance.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, marronner is conjugated as “j’avais marronné”, “tu avais marronné”, “il/elle avait marronné”, “nous avions marronné”, “vous aviez marronné”, “ils/elles avaient marronné”. This tense is used to talk about an action that took place before another action in the past.

Example 1: J’avais marronné toute la journée à cause de la pluie. (I had been sulking all day because of the rain.)

Example 2: Tu avais marronné depuis que tes amis sont partis. (You had been grumbling since your friends left.)

Example 3: Les enfants avaient marronné après avoir été privés de dessert. (The children had sulked after being deprived of dessert.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais marronné J’avais marronné toute la journée. I had been sulking all day.
tu tu avais marronné Tu avais marronné après tes parents. You had been grumbling at your parents.
il il avait marronné Il avait marronné en silence. He had been muttering in silence.
elle elle avait marronné Elle avait marronné en secret. She had been complaining secretly.
on on avait marronné On avait marronné sans cesse. One had been constantly grumbling.
nous nous avions marronné Nous avions marronné tout le trajet. We had been grumbling the whole way.
vous vous aviez marronné Vous aviez marronné tous les jours. You had been complaining every day.
ils ils avaient marronné Ils avaient marronné en cachette. They had been sulking in secret.
elles elles avaient marronné Elles avaient marronné derrière notre dos. They had been grumbling behind our backs.

Other Conjugations for Marronner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb marronner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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