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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb coulisser

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The English translation of the French verb coulisser is “to slide” or “to glide”. It is pronounced as “koo-lee-say”.

The word coulisser comes from the French word “coulisse”, meaning “groove” or “slot”. It is most often used in everyday French in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense.

Examples of coulisser in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais coulissé la porte avant qu’il n’arrive. (I had slid the door before he arrived.)
  2. Ils avaient coulissé le tiroir pour trouver les clés. (They had slid the drawer to find the keys.)
  3. Elle était partie après avoir coulissé la fenêtre. (She had left after sliding the window.)

In everyday French, coulisser is commonly used in the context of movement or motion, such as sliding doors, drawers, or windows. It can also be used figuratively to describe a smooth or effortless action, such as “coulisser vers le succès” (to slide towards success).

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais coulissé J’avais coulissé la fenêtre. I had slid the window.
tu tu avais coulissé Tu avais coulissé le tiroir. You had slid the drawer.
il il avait coulissé Il avait coulissé le placard. He had slid the cupboard.
elle elle avait coulissé Elle avait coulissé la porte. She had slid the door.
on on avait coulissé On avait coulissé la fenêtre. One had slid the window.
nous nous avions coulissé Nous avions coulissé la porte. We had slid the door.
vous vous aviez coulissé Vous aviez coulissé le rideau. You had slid the curtain.
ils ils avaient coulissé Ils avaient coulissé le volet. They had slid the shutter.
elles elles avaient coulissé Elles avaient coulissé le tiroir. They had slid the drawer.

Other Conjugations for Coulisser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb coulisser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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