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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb paloter

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The English translation of the French verb paloter is “to paw” or “to caress.” It is pronounced as pah-low-tay.

The word paloter comes from the French word “palme,” meaning palm, and the suffix “-oter,” which is used to form verbs meaning “to touch lightly or repeatedly.” It is most often used in everyday French to describe lightly touching or stroking something with the palm of one’s hand, often in a playful or affectionate manner.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Plus-que-parfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais paloté le chat avant d’aller dormir. (I had petted the cat before going to sleep.)
  2. Tu avais paloté l’oreille de ton bébé pour l’aider à s’endormir. (You had lightly touched your baby’s ear to help them fall asleep.)
  3. Elle avait paloté le chien en rigolant. (She had playfully petted the dog while laughing.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais paloté J’avais paloté avec mes amis. I had chatted with my friends.
tu tu avais paloté Tu avais paloté avec tes collègues. You had chatted with your colleagues.
il il avait paloté Il avait paloté avec son voisin. He had chatted with his neighbor.
elle elle avait paloté Elle avait paloté avec sa sœur. She had chatted with her sister.
on on avait paloté On avait paloté avec des inconnus. One had chatted with strangers.
nous nous avions paloté Nous avions paloté avec nos voisins. We had chatted with our neighbors.
vous vous aviez paloté Vous aviez paloté avec vos amis. You had chatted with your friends.
ils ils avaient paloté Ils avaient paloté avec leurs collègues. They had chatted with their colleagues.
elles elles avaient paloté Elles avaient paloté avec leurs sœurs. They had chatted with their sisters.

Other Conjugations for Paloter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb paloter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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