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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb défeuiller

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The English translation of the French verb défeuiller is “to leaf through” or “to flip through.” It is pronounced as “day-fuh-yay.”

Défeuiller comes from the combination of the prefix “dé-” which means “to remove” and the word “feuille” which translates to “leaf.” It originated from the Old French word “defeuillier” and is primarily used in everyday French in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, défeuiller is used to describe an action that had been completed in the past before another past action took place. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. J’avais défeuillé le livre avant qu’il ne soit arrivé. (I had leafed through the book before he arrived.)

  2. Tu avais défeuillé tous les magazines avant de les jeter. (You had flipped through all the magazines before throwing them away.)

  3. Ils avaient défeuillé le dossier avant de le présenter à leur patron. (They had leafed through the file before presenting it to their boss.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais défeuillé J’avais défeuillé l’arbre. I had removed the leaves from the tree.
tu tu avais défeuillé Tu avais défeuillé la plante. You had removed the leaves from the plant.
il il avait défeuillé Il avait défeuillé le buisson. He had removed the leaves from the bush.
elle elle avait défeuillé Elle avait défeuillé la fleur. She had removed the petals from the flower.
on on avait défeuillé On avait défeuillé l’arbre. One had removed the leaves from the tree.
nous nous avions défeuillé Nous avions défeuillé les arbustes. We had removed the leaves from the shrubs.
vous vous aviez défeuillé Vous aviez défeuillé les plantes. You had removed the leaves from the plants.
ils ils avaient défeuillé Ils avaient défeuillé les arbres. They had removed the leaves from the trees.
elles elles avaient défeuillé Elles avaient défeuillé les fleurs. They had removed the petals from the flowers.

Other Conjugations for Défeuiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défeuiller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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