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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb niaquer

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The English translation of the French verb niaquer is “to nitpick” or “to pick at.” It is pronounced “nee-yah-kay.”

The verb niaquer comes from the French slang word “niak,” which means “to want” or “to desire.” It is most often used in informal and colloquial French and is not typically found in formal speech or writing.

In everyday French, niaquer is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which corresponds to the English past perfect tense. This tense is used to talk about actions that were completed in the past before another past action.

Examples of niaquer in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais niaqué toutes les fautes avant que le professeur ait corrigé mes devoirs. (I had nitpicked all the mistakes before the teacher corrected my homework.)

  2. Elle avait niaqué les détails de son discours avant de le présenter à la conférence. (She had picked at the details of her speech before presenting it at the conference.)

  3. Nous avions niaqué les erreurs dans le contrat avant que la signature ne soit apposée. (We had nitpicked the errors in the contract before the signature was applied.)

English translations:

  1. I had nitpicked all the mistakes before the teacher corrected my homework.

  2. She had picked at the details of her speech before presenting it at the conference.

  3. We had nitpicked the errors in the contract before the signature was applied.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais niaqué J’avais niaqué la balle. I had flicked the ball.
tu tu avais niaqué Tu avais niaqué le fruit. You had nibbled on the fruit.
il il avait niaqué Il avait niaqué le sandwich. He had taken a bite of the sandwich.
elle elle avait niaqué Elle avait niaqué le croissant. She had nibbled on the croissant.
on on avait niaqué On avait niaqué le bout de pain. One had nibbled on the piece of bread.
nous nous avions niaqué Nous avions niaqué le fromage. We had nibbled on the cheese.
vous vous aviez niaqué Vous aviez niaqué la pâtisserie. You had nibbled on the pastry.
ils ils avaient niaqué Ils avaient niaqué le biscuit. They had nibbled on the cookie.
elles elles avaient niaqué Elles avaient niaqué le beignet. They had nibbled on the doughnut.

Other Conjugations for Niaquer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb niaquer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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