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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb flâner

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The English translation of the French verb flâner is “to stroll” or “to wander”. It is pronounced as “flah-nay”.

The word flâner comes from the French noun flâneur, which means “stroller” or “wanderer”. It originated in the 19th century and was popularized by French poet Charles Baudelaire. In everyday French, flâner is often used to describe the act of leisurely walking or strolling without a specific destination.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English, flâner is used to describe an action that had already been completed in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense with the respective English translations:

  1. J’avais flâné dans les rues de Paris toute la journée avant de rentrer à l’hôtel. (I had strolled through the streets of Paris all day before returning to the hotel.)
  2. Ils avaient flâné dans le parc avant de se rendre au musée. (They had wandered around the park before going to the museum.)
  3. Tu avais flâné dans les magasins, mais tu n’as rien acheté. (You had strolled through the shops, but you didn’t buy anything.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais flâné J’avais flâné dans les rues de Paris. I had strolled through the streets of Paris.
tu tu avais flâné Tu avais flâné au bord de la rivière. You had wandered along the riverbank.
il il avait flâné Il avait flâné dans le parc. He had sauntered through the park.
elle elle avait flâné Elle avait flâné dans les magasins. She had browsed through the shops.
on on avait flâné On avait flâné dans les jardins. One had wandered through the gardens.
nous nous avions flâné Nous avions flâné sur la plage. We had strolled along the beach.
vous vous aviez flâné Vous aviez flâné dans les musées. You had strolled through the museums.
ils ils avaient flâné Ils avaient flâné dans le quartier. They had wandered through the neighborhood.
elles elles avaient flâné Elles avaient flâné dans le marché. They had strolled through the market.

Other Conjugations for Flâner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb flâner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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