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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb postillonner

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The English translation of the French verb postillonner is “to postilion” or “to drive a postilion.” The infinitive form of postillonner is pronounced poh-stee-yoh-neh.

The word postillonner comes from the French word “postillon,” meaning “postilion,” which refers to a person who rides on the front left horse of a carriage and guides the horses by using a long whip. The verb postillonner therefore means to drive a carriage with a postilion.

In everyday French, the verb postillonner is most often used in the plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed in the past before another action also in the past. It is formed with the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the imperfect tense and the past participle of the main verb.

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

  1. J’avais postillonné pendant des heures avant d’arriver à destination. (I had been driving with a postilion for hours before arriving at our destination.)

  2. Le postillon avait déjà quitté sa place quand nous sommes arrivés à l’auberge. (The postilion had already left his position when we arrived at the inn.)

  3. Elle avait postillonné sur les routes de campagne pendant toute son enfance. (She had driven with a postilion on the country roads during her whole childhood.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais postillonné J’avais postillonné sur ma chemise. I had spat on my shirt.
tu tu avais postillonné Tu avais postillonné en parlant. You had sprayed while talking.
il il avait postillonné Il avait postillonné en toussant. He had sprayed while coughing.
elle elle avait postillonné Elle avait postillonné en riant. She had sprayed while laughing.
on on avait postillonné On avait postillonné en éternuant. One had sprayed while sneezing.
nous nous avions postillonné Nous avions postillonné en chantant. We had sprayed while singing.
vous vous aviez postillonné Vous aviez postillonné en mangeant. You had sprayed while eating.
ils ils avaient postillonné Ils avaient postillonné en buvant. They had sprayed while drinking.
elles elles avaient postillonné Elles avaient postillonné en bavardant. They had sprayed while chatting.

Other Conjugations for Postillonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb postillonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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