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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb pigeonner

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The English translation of the French verb pigeonner is “to pigeonhole” or “to categorize.” It is pronounced “pee-zhon-ay” in the infinitive form.

The word pigeonner comes from the French word “pigeon,” meaning pigeon, and is derived from the Latin word “pipionem,” meaning young bird. In everyday French, the verb pigeonner is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to talk about an action that was completed before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of pigeonner in the Plus-que-parfait tense with their English translations:

  1. J’avais pigeonner mon amie comme une personne timide avant de la connaître. (I had pigeonholed my friend as a shy person before getting to know her.)
  2. Il avait toujours pigeonner ses collègues en fonction de leur apparence physique. (He had always categorized his colleagues based on their physical appearance.)
  3. Elle avait été pigeonner par son genre de musique préféré avant d’élargir ses goûts. (She had pigeonholed herself by her favorite genre of music before broadening her tastes.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais pigeonner J’avais pigeonner l’oiseau. I had trapped the bird.
tu tu avais pigeonner Tu avais pigeonner les pigeons. You had trapped the pigeons.
il il avait pigeonner Il avait pigeonner la cible. He had tricked the target.
elle elle avait pigeonner Elle avait pigeonner les joueurs. She had fooled the players.
on on avait pigeonner On avait pigeonner le patron. One had deceived the boss.
nous nous avions pigeonner Nous avions pigeonner les voisins. We had cheated the neighbors.
vous vous aviez pigeonner Vous aviez pigeonner le serpent. You had outwitted the snake.
ils ils avaient pigeonner Ils avaient pigeonner le chat. They had duped the cat.
elles elles avaient pigeonner Elles avaient pigeonner le renard. They had trapped the fox.

Other Conjugations for Pigeonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pigeonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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