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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb polissonner

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The English translation of the French verb polissonner is “to be naughty” or “to be mischievous”. The infinitive form is pronounced “poh-lee-sohn-ay”.

Polissonner comes from the French word “polisson” which means “mischievous” or “naughty”. It is often used in everyday French to describe someone who is behaving in a playful or mischievous manner.

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

  1. J’avais polissonné toute la journée avant que mes parents ne rentrent à la maison. (I had been naughty all day before my parents came back home.)

  2. Ils avaient polissonné ensemble à l’école avant de se faire attraper par le professeur. (They had been mischievous together at school before getting caught by the teacher.)

  3. Elle avait polissonné avec son frère avant que leurs parents ne les grondent. (She had been naughty with her brother before their parents scolded them.)

Overall, polissonner is a playful and lighthearted verb that is often used to describe mischievous behavior in everyday French conversations.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais polissonné J’avais polissonné toute la journée. I had been mischievous all day.
tu tu avais polissonné Tu avais polissonné avec tes amis. You had been mischievous with your friends.
il il avait polissonné Il avait polissonné en classe. He had been mischievous in class.
elle elle avait polissonné Elle avait polissonné pendant la récréation. She had been mischievous during recess.
on on avait polissonné On avait polissonné lors de la fête. One had been mischievous during the party.
nous nous avions polissonné Nous avions polissonné toute la nuit. We had been mischievous all night.
vous vous aviez polissonné Vous aviez polissonné avec vos voisins. You had been mischievous with your neighbors.
ils ils avaient polissonné Ils avaient polissonné avec leurs cousins. They had been mischievous with their cousins.
elles elles avaient polissonné Elles avaient polissonné en classe. They had been mischievous in class.

Other Conjugations for Polissonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb polissonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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