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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb pestiférer

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The English translation of the French verb pestiférer is “to pester/annoy constantly”. It is pronounced as “peh-stee-feh-ray”.

Pestiférer comes from the word “pestifère” which means “pestilential” or “plague-ridden” in French. It is derived from the Latin word “pestifer” meaning “bringing plague”. In everyday French, pestiférer is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to describe actions or behaviors that were constantly annoying or pestering in the past.

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

1) J’avais pestiféré ma soeur toute la journée. (I had constantly annoyed my sister all day.)
2) Les oiseaux avaient pestiféré les touristes avec leurs chants incessants. (The birds had pestered the tourists with their constant chirping.)
3) Nous avions pestiféré notre voisin en jouant de la musique trop fort. (We had pestered our neighbor by playing music too loud.)

In all of these examples, the action of pestiférer was ongoing and continuous in the past. The Plus-que-parfait tense is used to emphasize that the action had already been happening before another past action was completed. It can also be translated in English using “had been” + the present participle form of the verb. For example: J’avais pestiféré ma soeur toute la journée. (I had been annoying my sister all day.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais pestiféré J’avais pestiféré contre la situation. I had raged against the situation.
tu tu avais pestiféré Tu avais pestiféré contre ton voisin. You had raged against your neighbor.
il il avait pestiféré Il avait pestiféré contre le gouvernement. He had raged against the government.
elle elle avait pestiféré Elle avait pestiféré contre son patron. She had raged against her boss.
on on avait pestiféré On avait pestiféré contre la pollution. One had raged against pollution.
nous nous avions pestiféré Nous avions pestiféré contre les injustices. We had raged against injustices.
vous vous aviez pestiféré Vous aviez pestiféré contre vos ennemis. You had raged against your enemies.
ils ils avaient pestiféré Ils avaient pestiféré contre leurs amis. They had raged against their friends.
elles elles avaient pestiféré Elles avaient pestiféré contre leurs voisines. They had raged against their neighbors.

Other Conjugations for Pestiférer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pestiférer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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