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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb déferler

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of déferler. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb déferler is “to surge” or “to roll in.” It is pronounced as “day-feh-lay” in its infinitive form.

Déferler comes from the Old French word “defreler,” meaning “to unroll” or “to unfurl.” Its use in everyday French is primarily in the sense of waves crashing or a strong, powerful movement.

Examples in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. Les vagues déferlaient sur la plage depuis des heures. (The waves had been crashing on the beach for hours.)

  2. Les manifestants déferlaient dans les rues avant l’arrivée de la police. (The protesters had been surging through the streets before the arrival of the police.)

  3. Les larmes déferlaient sur ses joues alors qu’elle se remémorait le passé. (Tears were rolling down her cheeks as she remembered the past.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais déferlé J’avais déferlé sur la plage. I had broken on the beach.
tu tu avais déferlé Tu avais déferlé sur la côte. You had broken on the coast.
il il avait déferlé Il avait déferlé sur les rochers. He had broken on the rocks.
elle elle avait déferlé Elle avait déferlé sur le rivage. She had broken on the shore.
on on avait déferlé On avait déferlé sur les vagues. One had broken on the waves.
nous nous avions déferlé Nous avions déferlé sur le récif. We had broken on the reef.
vous vous aviez déferlé Vous aviez déferlé sur la falaise. You had broken on the cliff.
ils ils avaient déferlé Ils avaient déferlé sur la dune. They had broken on the dune.
elles elles avaient déferlé Elles avaient déferlé sur la côte. They had broken on the coast.

Other Conjugations for Déferler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb déferler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the déferler Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts