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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb quiller

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The English translation of the French verb quiller is “to wind” or “to coil.” It is pronounced as “kee-yay” in the infinitive form.

The word quiller comes from the Latin word “coil,” meaning “to roll up.” In French, it is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is equivalent to the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of quiller being used in the Plus-que-parfait tense in everyday French:

  1. J’avais quillé la corde avant de l’utiliser pour attacher le bateau. (I had coiled the rope before using it to tie the boat.)

  2. Tu avais quillé les cheveux de ta soeur pour la soirée. (You had curled your sister’s hair for the party.)

  3. Ils avaient quillé les fils électriques pour les rendre plus durables. (They had wound the electrical wires to make them more durable.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais quillé J’avais quillé la balle. I had quilled the ball.
tu tu avais quillé Tu avais quillé la raquette. You had quilled the racket.
il il avait quillé Il avait quillé la chaussette. He had quilled the sock.
elle elle avait quillé Elle avait quillé la balle. She had quilled the ball.
on on avait quillé On avait quillé le jouet. One had quilled the toy.
nous nous avions quillé Nous avions quillé la pelote. We had quilled the ball of thread.
vous vous aviez quillé Vous aviez quillé le stylo. You had quilled the pen.
ils ils avaient quillé Ils avaient quillé la plume. They had quilled the feather.
elles elles avaient quillé Elles avaient quillé la feuille. They had quilled the paper.

Other Conjugations for Quiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb quiller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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