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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb circuler

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The English translation of the French verb circuler is “to circulate.” The infinitive form is pronounced “seer-kew-leh.”

The verb circuler comes from the Latin word “circulare,” meaning “to go around in a circle.” It is often used in everyday French to describe the act of moving or flowing in a circular or continuous manner. In the Plus-que-parfait tense, which corresponds to the past perfect tense in English, circuler is used to talk about an action that had already happened before another event in the past.

Here are three simple examples of circuler in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais déjà circulé dans ce quartier avant de déménager. (I had already been around this neighborhood before moving.)
  2. Nous avions circulé dans les rues animées toute la soirée. (We had been moving around the busy streets all evening.)
  3. Vous aviez circulé en voiture avant de prendre le train. (You had driven around before taking the train.)

In each of these examples, the action of “circuler” had already been completed before another event took place. In English, we would use the past perfect tense to convey the same meaning.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais circulé J’avais circulé dans la ville. I had moved around the city.
tu tu avais circulé Tu avais circulé en voiture. You had driven around in a car.
il il avait circulé Il avait circulé dans le quartier. He had gone around the neighborhood.
elle elle avait circulé Elle avait circulé à vélo. She had cycled around.
on on avait circulé On avait circulé à pied. One had walked around.
nous nous avions circulé Nous avions circulé en bus. We had traveled around by bus.
vous vous aviez circulé Vous aviez circulé en train. You had traveled around by train.
ils ils avaient circulé Ils avaient circulé en avion. They had flown around.
elles elles avaient circulé Elles avaient circulé en bateau. They had sailed around.

Other Conjugations for Circuler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb circuler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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