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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb pagayer

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The English translation of the French verb pagayer is “to paddle.” It is pronounced as “pah-gah-yay.”

The word pagayer comes from the Old French word “pagaiier,” which originated from the Latin word “pagella,” meaning small tablet or paddle. In everyday French, pagayer is most often used in the context of water sports, such as canoeing or kayaking, to describe the action of paddling.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English, pagayer is conjugated as follows:

  • J’avais pagayé (I had paddled)
  • Tu avais pagayé (You had paddled)
  • Il/Elle avait pagayé (He/She had paddled)
  • Nous avions pagayé (We had paddled)
  • Vous aviez pagayé (You had paddled)
  • Ils/Elles avaient pagayé (They had paddled)

Here are three simple examples of pagayer in the Plus-que-parfait tense with their English translations:

  1. J’avais pagayé toute la journée lorsque je me suis rendu compte que j’avais perdu ma pagaie. (I had paddled all day when I realized I had lost my paddle.)
  2. Nous avions pagayé pendant des heures avant d’atteindre la rive opposée. (We had paddled for hours before reaching the opposite shore.)
  3. Elles avaient pagayé ensemble pendant des années avant de participer aux Jeux Olympiques. (They had paddled together for years before competing in the Olympics.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais pagayé J’avais pagayé sur la rivière. I had paddled on the river.
tu tu avais pagayé Tu avais pagayé sur le lac. You had paddled on the lake.
il il avait pagayé Il avait pagayé sur l’océan. He had paddled on the ocean.
elle elle avait pagayé Elle avait pagayé sur la mer. She had paddled on the sea.
on on avait pagayé On avait pagayé sur le fleuve. One had paddled on the river.
nous nous avions pagayé Nous avions pagayé sur le canal. We had paddled on the canal.
vous vous aviez pagayé Vous aviez pagayé sur la crique. You had paddled on the cove.
ils ils avaient pagayé Ils avaient pagayé sur le ruisseau. They had paddled on the stream.
elles elles avaient pagayé Elles avaient pagayé sur le lac gelé. They had paddled on the frozen lake.

Other Conjugations for Pagayer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pagayer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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