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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb quémander

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The English translation of the French verb quémander is “to beg” or “to plead.” It is pronounced as “keh-mahn-deh” in its infinitive form.

The origin of the word quémander can be traced back to the Latin word “quamandare,” meaning “to demand.” It entered the French language in the 12th century and has evolved to its current meaning of begging or pleading.

In everyday French, quémander 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 had already been completed in the past before another past action.

Here are three examples of quémander in the plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais quémandé de l’argent à mes parents avant de partir en voyage. (I had begged my parents for money before leaving on the trip.)

  2. Les enfants avaient quémandé des bonbons toute la journée. (The children had been begging for candy all day.)

  3. La mendiant avait quémandé de la nourriture à tous les passants. (The beggar had been pleading for food from all the passersby.)

  4. I had begged my parents for money before leaving on the trip.

  5. The children had been begging for candy all day.

  6. The beggar had been pleading for food from all the passersby.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais quémandé J’avais quémandé de l’argent. I had begged for money.
tu tu avais quémandé Tu avais quémandé une réponse. You had begged for an answer.
il il avait quémandé Il avait quémandé des faveurs. He had begged for favors.
elle elle avait quémandé Elle avait quémandé un pardon. She had begged for forgiveness.
on on avait quémandé On avait quémandé une faveur. One had begged for a favor.
nous nous avions quémandé Nous avions quémandé de la nourriture. We had begged for food.
vous vous aviez quémandé Vous aviez quémandé de l’aide. You had begged for help.
ils ils avaient quémandé Ils avaient quémandé de l’aide. They had begged for help.
elles elles avaient quémandé Elles avaient quémandé un service. They had begged for a favor.

Other Conjugations for Quémander.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb quémander
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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