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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb palabrer

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of palabrer. 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 palabrer is “to chatter” or “to babble.” The infinitive form of palabrer is pronounced as “pah-lah-bray.”

The word palabrer has its origins in the Latin word “palabrum,” meaning “discussion” or “debate.” It came into French usage in the 16th century as a verb meaning “to talk excessively or aimlessly.”

In everyday French, palabrer in the Plus-que-parfait tense is often used to describe a past action that was ongoing or habitual at a specific point in the past.

Three examples of palabrer in the Plus-que-parfait tense with the English translations are:

  1. Nous avions palabré pendant des heures sans trouver de solution. (We had been chatting for hours without finding a solution.)
  2. Elles avaient l’habitude de palabrer pendant les réunions, ce qui agaçait les autres collègues. (They used to chatter during meetings, which annoyed the other colleagues.)
  3. Tu avais palabré avec ta meilleure amie toute la nuit. (You had been babbling with your best friend all night.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais palabré J’avais palabré avec lui. I had chattered with him.
tu tu avais palabré Tu avais palabré avec elle. You had chattered with her.
il il avait palabré Il avait palabré avec ses amis. He had chattered with his friends.
elle elle avait palabré Elle avait palabré avec son patron. She had chattered with her boss.
on on avait palabré On avait palabré toute la nuit. One had chattered all night.
nous nous avions palabré Nous avions palabré au téléphone. We had chattered on the phone.
vous vous aviez palabré Vous aviez palabré au café. You had chattered at the cafe.
ils ils avaient palabré Ils avaient palabré en voiture. They had chattered in the car.
elles elles avaient palabré Elles avaient palabré à la fête. They had chattered at the party.

Other Conjugations for Palabrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb palabrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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 palabrer Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts