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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb dévaler

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of dévaler. 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 dévaler is “to rush down” or “to go down quickly.” It is pronounced as “deh-vah-leh” in its infinitive form.

Dévaler comes from the Old French word “desvaler,” which is derived from the Latin word “devolare,” meaning “to fly down.” It is most often used as an intransitive verb, meaning it does not require a direct object.

In everyday French, dévaler is commonly used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses an action that occurred before another action in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with the respective English translations:

  1. J’avais dévalé les escaliers avant qu’il n’arrive. (I had rushed down the stairs before he arrived.)
  2. Elle avait dévalé la piste en ski avant la fermeture. (She had gone down the ski slope before it closed.)
  3. Nous avions dévalé la colline en vélo avant la pluie. (We had cycled down the hill before the rain.)

In all of these examples, dévaler is used to describe a quick and rapid descent or movement. It is commonly used in sports or physical activities, but can also be used in a figurative sense to describe a rapid decline or decrease.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais dévalé J’avais dévalé la colline. I had hurtled down the hill.
tu tu avais dévalé Tu avais dévalé la pente. You had hurtled down the slope.
il il avait dévalé Il avait dévalé la descente. He had hurtled down the descent.
elle elle avait dévalé Elle avait dévalé la montagne. She had hurtled down the mountain.
on on avait dévalé On avait dévalé la route. One had hurtled down the road.
nous nous avions dévalé Nous avions dévalé la falaise. We had hurtled down the cliff.
vous vous aviez dévalé Vous aviez dévalé la piste. You had hurtled down the trail.
ils ils avaient dévalé Ils avaient dévalé le sentier. They had hurtled down the path.
elles elles avaient dévalé Elles avaient dévalé la colline. They had hurtled down the hill.

Other Conjugations for Dévaler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb dévaler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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 dévaler Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts