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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb poiroter

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The English translation of the French verb poiroter is “to dawdle” or “to waste time”. The infinitive form, poiroter, is pronounced as “pwa-rot-ay”.

Poiroter comes from the French word “poireau”, which means “leek”. In French slang, a “poireau” can refer to a lazy or slow person. This is where the verb poiroter gets its meaning of wasting time or procrastinating.

In everyday French, poiroter is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to describe an action that had already been completed in the past before another action in the past.

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

  1. J’avais poiroter avant de commencer mes devoirs. (I had dawdled before starting my homework.)
  2. Ils avaient poiroter dans la rue avant de se décider à entrer dans le restaurant. (They had wasted time on the street before deciding to enter the restaurant.)
  3. Tu avais poiroter toute la journée au lieu de réviser pour l’examen. (You had wasted the whole day instead of studying for the exam.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais poiroter J’avais poiroter depuis une heure. I had been waiting for an hour.
tu tu avais poiroter Tu avais poiroter dans la file d’attente. You had been waiting in line.
il il avait poiroter Il avait poiroter devant la porte. He had been waiting outside the door.
elle elle avait poiroter Elle avait poiroter pendant des heures. She had been waiting for hours.
on on avait poiroter On avait poiroter pour le bus. One had been waiting for the bus.
nous nous avions poiroter Nous avions poiroter ensemble. We had been waiting together.
vous vous aviez poiroter Vous aviez poiroter depuis longtemps. You had been waiting for a long time.
ils ils avaient poiroter Ils avaient poiroter toute la journée. They had been waiting all day.
elles elles avaient poiroter Elles avaient poiroter depuis midi. They had been waiting since noon.

Other Conjugations for Poiroter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb poiroter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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