Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb effleurer
Introduction to the verb effleurer
The English translation of the French verb effleurer is “to brush lightly” or “to skim over.” It is pronounced as “eh-fleur-ay” in its infinitive form.
Effleurer comes from the Old French word “fleur,” meaning “flower,” and the prefix “es-” meaning “out.” In the 13th century, it was used in the context of touching or brushing lightly, like the touch of a flower petal. In modern day French, it is often used in a figurative sense to describe a light or fleeting touch or passing over of something.
In the Plus-que-parfait tense, effleurer is used to talk about an action that had been completed before another past action. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the imperfect tense followed by the past participle “effleuré.”
Here are three examples of effleurer used in the Plus-que-parfait tense:
- J’avais effleuré sa joue avant de partir. (I had brushed lightly against his cheek before leaving.)
- Il avait effleuré mes lèvres du bout des doigts. (He had lightly touched my lips with his fingertips.)
- Elle avait effleuré le sujet sans y donner trop d’importance. (She had lightly mentioned the subject without giving it much importance.)
In each of these examples, effleurer is used to describe a brief, light touch or mention of something in the past.
Table of the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of effleurer
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | j’avais effleuré | J’avais effleuré la fleur. | I had grazed the flower. |
tu | tu avais effleuré | Tu avais effleuré son visage. | You had grazed his/her face. |
il | il avait effleuré | Il avait effleuré sa main. | He had grazed her hand. |
elle | elle avait effleuré | Elle avait effleuré la table. | She had grazed the table. |
on | on avait effleuré | On avait effleuré le mur. | One had grazed the wall. |
nous | nous avions effleuré | Nous avions effleuré le tissu. | We had grazed the fabric. |
vous | vous aviez effleuré | Vous aviez effleuré la peau. | You had grazed the skin. |
ils | ils avaient effleuré | Ils avaient effleuré le sol. | They had grazed the floor. |
elles | elles avaient effleuré | Elles avaient effleuré ses cheveux. | They had grazed his/her hair. |
Other Conjugations for Effleurer.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb effleurer
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb effleurer
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb effleurer
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb effleurer
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb effleurer
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb effleurer
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb effleurer (this article)
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb effleurer
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb effleurer
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb effleurer
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb effleurer
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb effleurer
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb effleurer
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb effleurer
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb effleurer
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb effleurer
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb effleurer
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Effleurer – About the French Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense
Tense Formation
Common everyday usage patterns
Sequencing of past events
Background information
Hypothetical or reported speech
Interactions with other tenses
Summary
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