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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb pajoter

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of pajoter. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb pajoter is “to mess around” or “to fool around.” It is pronounced as “pah-jo-tay.”

Pajoter originates from the French slang word “pajot,” which means “to fool around” or “to play around.” It is most often used in casual or informal language, especially among young people.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English, pajoter is used to describe an action that had already been completed before another past action or time in the past.

Example 1: J’avais toujours préféré pajoter avec mes amis plutôt que de faire mes devoirs. (I had always preferred to mess around with my friends instead of doing my homework.)

Example 2: Nous n’avions pas fini notre travail à temps parce que nous avions passé toute la journée à pajoter. (We hadn’t finished our work on time because we had spent the whole day messing around.)

Example 3: Ils avaient été punis pour avoir pajoté en classe. (They had been punished for messing around in class.)

Overall, pajoter is used to describe a playful or non-serious activity, often in a negative context. It can also imply wasting time or being unproductive.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais pajoté J’avais pajoté toute la nuit. I had partied all night.
tu tu avais pajoté Tu avais pajoté avec tes amis. You had partied with your friends.
il il avait pajoté Il avait pajoté au club. He had partied at the club.
elle elle avait pajoté Elle avait pajoté jusqu’au matin. She had partied until morning.
on on avait pajoté On avait pajoté à la plage. One had partied at the beach.
nous nous avions pajoté Nous avions pajoté chez moi. We had partied at my place.
vous vous aviez pajoté Vous aviez pajoté en ville. You had partied in town.
ils ils avaient pajoté Ils avaient pajoté ensemble. They had partied together.
elles elles avaient pajoté Elles avaient pajoté toute la soirée. They had partied all evening.

Other Conjugations for Pajoter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pajoter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the pajoter Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts