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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb poignarder

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The English translation of the French verb poignarder is “to stab.” It is pronounced as “pwan-yar-dey.”

The word poignarder comes from the Old French word “poignard,” which means “dagger.” It is derived from the Latin word “pugnus,” meaning “fist,” and “ardere,” meaning “to burn.” In everyday French, poignarder is often used in the past tense, including the Plus-que-parfait (pluperfect) tense, to describe an action that occurred before another past action. It can also be used in literary or historical contexts to describe a stabbing incident.

Here are three simple examples of poignarder in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. Il avait poignardé son ennemi avant d’être arrêté par la police. (He had stabbed his enemy before being arrested by the police.)

  2. Les deux bandits s’étaient poignardés mutuellement lors de la bagarre. (The two bandits had stabbed each other during the fight.)

  3. Elle avait été poignardée par son mari jaloux dans un accès de rage. (She had been stabbed by her jealous husband in a fit of rage.)

In all of these examples, poignarder is used in the past tense to describe an action that happened before another past action. The Plus-que-parfait tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of poignarder.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais poignardé J’avais poignardé mon ennemi. I had stabbed my enemy.
tu tu avais poignardé Tu avais poignardé la victime. You had stabbed the victim.
il il avait poignardé Il avait poignardé le criminel. He had stabbed the criminal.
elle elle avait poignardé Elle avait poignardé son agresseur. She had stabbed her attacker.
on on avait poignardé On avait poignardé l’assassin. One had stabbed the assassin.
nous nous avions poignardé Nous avions poignardé le meurtrier. We had stabbed the murderer.
vous vous aviez poignardé Vous aviez poignardé l’agresseur. You had stabbed the attacker.
ils ils avaient poignardé Ils avaient poignardé le témoin. They had stabbed the witness.
elles elles avaient poignardé Elles avaient poignardé le coupable. They had stabbed the culprit.

Other Conjugations for Poignarder.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb poignarder
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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