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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb quadriller

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The English translation of the French verb quadriller is “to grid, to mark with a grid, to crisscross”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “kwa-dree-yay”.

The word quadriller comes from the Latin word “quadri” meaning “four” and the suffix “-illare” which means “to make into”. It first appeared in the French language in the 14th century.

In everyday French, quadriller is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses an action that had already been completed in the past.

Three examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. J’avais quadrillé le jardin avant que les invités n’arrivent. (I had gridded the garden before the guests arrived.)
  2. Tu avais quadrillé le tableau avec précision. (You had marked the board with precision.)
  3. Les policiers avaient quadrillé le quartier à la recherche du suspect. (The police had crisscrossed the neighborhood in search of the suspect.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais quadrillé J’avais quadrillé la zone. I had gridded the area.
tu tu avais quadrillé Tu avais quadrillé la feuille. You had gridded the sheet.
il il avait quadrillé Il avait quadrillé le papier. He had gridded the paper.
elle elle avait quadrillé Elle avait quadrillé le tableau. She had gridded the board.
on on avait quadrillé On avait quadrillé la surface. One had gridded the surface.
nous nous avions quadrillé Nous avions quadrillé la salle. We had gridded the room.
vous vous aviez quadrillé Vous aviez quadrillé le plan. You had gridded the plan.
ils ils avaient quadrillé Ils avaient quadrillé le terrain. They had gridded the field.
elles elles avaient quadrillé Elles avaient quadrillé la carte. They had gridded the map.

Other Conjugations for Quadriller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb quadriller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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