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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb papouiller

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The English translation of the French verb papouiller is “to cuddle” or “to pamper”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “pa-pwee-yay”.

The word papouiller comes from the French word “papouille”, which means “cuddle” or “caress”. It is derived from the word “papou”, which is a term of endearment for a child.

In everyday French, papouiller is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Here are three examples of papouiller used in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais papouillé mon chat avant de partir au travail. (I had cuddled my cat before leaving for work.)
  2. Tu avais papouillé tes enfants avant de les mettre au lit. (You had pampered your children before putting them to bed.)
  3. Ils étaient allés papouiller les chiens à la SPA hier après-midi. (They had gone to cuddle the dogs at the animal shelter yesterday afternoon.)

In these examples, papouiller is used to describe an action that had already been completed before another past action. It is often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to add more depth and detail to a past event.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais papouillé J’avais papouillé mon chat. I had cuddled my cat.
tu tu avais papouillé Tu avais papouillé ta fille. You had cuddled your daughter.
il il avait papouillé Il avait papouillé son chien. He had cuddled his dog.
elle elle avait papouillé Elle avait papouillé son bébé. She had cuddled her baby.
on on avait papouillé On avait papouillé le lapin. One had cuddled the rabbit.
nous nous avions papouillé Nous avions papouillé nos amis. We had cuddled our friends.
vous vous aviez papouillé Vous aviez papouillé vos enfants. You had cuddled your children.
ils ils avaient papouillé Ils avaient papouillé leur chaton. They had cuddled their kitten.
elles elles avaient papouillé Elles avaient papouillé leur chiot. They had cuddled their puppy.

Other Conjugations for Papouiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb papouiller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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