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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb nieller

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The English translation of the French verb nieller is “to inlay,” “to enamel,” or “to damascene.” The infinitive form is pronounced as /nyeh-lay/.

The word nieller comes from the Old French word “niel,” which refers to the black alloy used for inlaying or enameling. It is derived from the Latin word “nigellus,” meaning “blackish,” which is also the origin of the English word “niggle.”

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

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

  1. J’avais niellé la boîte avant de la donner à ma mère. (I had inlaid the box before giving it to my mother.)
  2. Tu avais niellé tes boucles d’oreilles pour les rendre plus jolies. (You had enameled your earrings to make them prettier.)
  3. Ils avaient niellé la bague pour la vendre à un prix plus élevé. (They had damascened the ring to sell it at a higher price.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais niellé J’avais niellé le bijou. I had enameled the jewel.
tu tu avais niellé Tu avais niellé la bague. You had enameled the ring
il il avait niellé Il avait niellé le collier. He had enameled the necklace.
elle elle avait niellé Elle avait niellé la broche. She had enameled the brooch.
on on avait niellé On avait niellé la montre. One had enameled the watch.
nous nous avions niellé Nous avions niellé le bracelet. We had enameled the bracelet.
vous vous aviez niellé Vous aviez niellé le médaillon. You had enameled the locket.
ils ils avaient niellé Ils avaient niellé le pendentif. They had enameled the pendant.
elles elles avaient niellé Elles avaient niellé les boucles d’oreilles. They had enameled the earrings.

Other Conjugations for Nieller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb nieller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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