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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb noyer

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The English translation of the French verb noyer is “to drown.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “nwah-yay.”

The word noyer comes from the Latin word “nucarius” which means “nut tree,” as the wood from the walnut tree was used to make boats, which were often referred to as “noyers.” The verb noyer originally meant “to sink or submerge a boat” but eventually evolved to mean “to drown.”

In everyday French, noyer 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 before another action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of noyer in the plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais noyé mon chagrin dans l’alcool avant que tu arrives. (I had drowned my sorrows in alcohol before you arrived.)
  2. Elle avait noyé le poisson pour ne pas révéler la surprise. (She had evaded the question to not reveal the surprise.)
  3. Ils avaient noyé le moteur du bateau en le laissant tourner trop longtemps. (They had drowned the boat’s engine by leaving it running for too long.)

In all of these examples, noyer is used in its past participle form “noyé” to indicate that the action was completed before a specific point in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais noyé J’avais noyé le poisson dans la sauce. I had drowned the fish in the sauce.
tu tu avais noyé Tu avais noyé ton chagrin dans l’alcool. You had drowned your sorrows in alcohol.
il il avait noyé Il avait noyé sa tristesse dans le travail. He had drowned his sadness in work.
elle elle avait noyé Elle avait noyé ses soucis dans les loisirs. She had drowned her worries in leisure activities.
on on avait noyé On avait noyé notre ennui dans la musique. One had drowned our boredom in music.
nous nous avions noyé Nous avions noyé nos peines dans le chocolat. We had drowned our sorrows in chocolate.
vous vous aviez noyé Vous aviez noyé vos problèmes dans l’humour. You had drowned your problems in humor.
ils ils avaient noyé Ils avaient noyé leur déception dans le travail. They had drowned their disappointment in work.
elles elles avaient noyé Elles avaient noyé leurs inquiétudes dans les voyages. They had drowned their worries in travels.

Other Conjugations for Noyer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb noyer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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