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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb pointiller

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The English translation of the French verb pointiller is “to dot” or “to stipple.” It is pronounced as “pwah(n)tee-yay.”

The word pointiller comes from the French word “point” which means “dot.” It is derived from the Latin word “punctum” meaning “point” or “dot.” In everyday French, pointiller is used to describe the action of adding dots or small marks to a surface, creating a dotted pattern or texture. It can also be used figuratively to describe someone who is indecisive or scattered in their thoughts or actions.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, pointiller is used to describe an action that had been completed before another past action. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense with their English translations:

  1. J’avais pointillé les lettres du texte avant de les colorier. (I had dotted the letters of the text before coloring them.)

  2. Tu avais pointillé les étoiles sur le ciel noir. (You had stippled the stars on the black sky.)

  3. Il avait pointillé son dessin avec soin avant de le montrer à sa famille. (He had dotted his drawing carefully before showing it to his family.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais pointillé J’avais pointillé le dessin. I had dotted the drawing.
tu tu avais pointillé Tu avais pointillé le papier. You had dotted the paper.
il il avait pointillé Il avait pointillé la carte. He had dotted the map.
elle elle avait pointillé Elle avait pointillé la robe. She had dotted the dress.
on on avait pointillé On avait pointillé le tableau. One had dotted the painting.
nous nous avions pointillé Nous avions pointillé le tissu. We had dotted the fabric.
vous vous aviez pointillé Vous aviez pointillé la nappe. You had dotted the tablecloth.
ils ils avaient pointillé Ils avaient pointillé le mur. They had dotted the wall.
elles elles avaient pointillé Elles avaient pointillé la toile. They had dotted the canvas.

Other Conjugations for Pointiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pointiller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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