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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb pique-niquer

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of pique-niquer. 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 pique-niquer is “to have a picnic.” It is pronounced as “peek-nee-kay.”

The word pique-niquer originated from the combination of two words: “pique,” meaning to pick or to peck, and “nique,” which is a slang term for small bites or snacks. Together, they form the verb pique-niquer, meaning to have a meal outdoors.

Pique-niquer is most often used in everyday French 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 action in the past.

Three simple examples of using pique-niquer in the Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. Nous avions pique-niqué dans le parc avant d’aller au cinéma. (We had a picnic in the park before going to the cinema.)
  2. Elle avait pique-niqué avec ses amis avant de partir en vacances. (She had a picnic with her friends before leaving on vacation.)
  3. J’avais pique-niqué seule avant de retrouver ma famille. (I had a picnic alone before meeting up with my family.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais pique-niqué J’avais pique-niqué dans le parc. I had a picnic in the park.
tu tu avais pique-niqué Tu avais pique-niqué avec tes amis. You had a picnic with your friends.
il il avait pique-niqué Il avait pique-niqué avec sa famille. He had a picnic with his family.
elle elle avait pique-niqué Elle avait pique-niqué avec ses enfants. She had a picnic with her children.
on on avait pique-niqué On avait pique-niqué sur la plage. One had a picnic on the beach.
nous nous avions pique-niqué Nous avions pique-niqué dans la forêt. We had a picnic in the forest.
vous vous aviez pique-niqué Vous aviez pique-niqué au parc. You had a picnic at the park.
ils ils avaient pique-niqué Ils avaient pique-niqué dans le jardin. They had a picnic in the garden.
elles elles avaient pique-niqué Elles avaient pique-niqué à la campagne. They had a picnic in the countryside.

Other Conjugations for Pique-Niquer.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb pique-niquer
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pique-niquer
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pique-niquer
   

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pique-niquer
   

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pique-niquer
   

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pique-niquer
   

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

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pique-niquer

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pique-niquer

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pique-niquer

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pique-niquer
   

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pique-niquer

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

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pique-niquer
   

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pique-niquer

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pique-niquer

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pique-niquer

    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 pique-niquer Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

Pique-Niquer – 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 pique-niquer. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

Similar Posts