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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb nigauder

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The English translation of the French verb nigauder is “to be foolish” or “to act stupidly.” The infinitive form is pronounced “nee-goh-day.”

The verb nigauder comes from the Old French word “nigaud,” meaning “fool” or “simpleton.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the equivalent of the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed in the past before another past action.

Examples of nigauder in the Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. Ils avaient nigaudé en pensant que personne ne les verrait. (They had been foolish to think that nobody would see them.)

  2. Elle avait nigaudé en croyant qu’elle pourrait tout faire toute seule. (She had acted stupidly by thinking she could do everything by herself.)

  3. J’avais nigaudé en acceptant de travailler pour eux sans lire le contrat. (I had been foolish to accept working for them without reading the contract.)

In these examples, the verb nigauder is conjugated in the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the Plus-que-parfait tense, while the main verb remains in its infinitive form. It is often used in a negative context to express regret or criticism of someone’s actions.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais nigaudé J’avais nigaudé en classe. I had acted foolishly in class.
tu tu avais nigaudé Tu avais nigaudé en public. You had acted foolishly in public.
il il avait nigaudé Il avait nigaudé avec ses amis. He had acted foolishly with his friends.
elle elle avait nigaudé Elle avait nigaudé en secret. She had acted foolishly in secret.
on on avait nigaudé On avait nigaudé pour s’amuser. One had acted foolishly for fun.
nous nous avions nigaudé Nous avions nigaudé sans réfléchir. We had acted foolishly without thinking.
vous vous aviez nigaudé Vous aviez nigaudé sur le projet. You had acted foolishly about the project.
ils ils avaient nigaudé Ils avaient nigaudé au travail. They had acted foolishly at work.
elles elles avaient nigaudé Elles avaient nigaudé en classe. They had acted foolishly in class.

Other Conjugations for Nigauder.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb nigauder
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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