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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb fleurer

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The English translation of the French verb fleurer is “to smell” or “to give off a scent.” It is pronounced as “fləʁe” in the infinitive form.

The word “fleurer” comes from the Old French word “florir,” which means “to bloom” or “to flower.” It has roots in the Latin word “florere,” meaning “to blossom.”

In everyday French, fleurer is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense (pluperfect) to express an action that had been completed before another past action. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of fleurer.

Here are three simple examples of fleurer in the Plus-que-parfait tense, with their English translations:

  1. J’avais fleuré le parfum avant qu’elle n’entre dans la pièce. (I had smelled the perfume before she entered the room.)
  2. Tu étais passé devant les roses qui avaient fleuri depuis la dernière fois. (You had passed by the roses that had bloomed since the last time.)
  3. Ils étaient partis avant que les fleurs n’aient fleuri dans leur jardin. (They had left before the flowers bloomed in their garden.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais fleuré J’avais fleuré le parfum. I had smelled the perfume.
tu tu avais fleuré Tu avais fleuré la rose. You had smelled the rose.
il il avait fleuré Il avait fleuré la pâtisserie. He had smelled the pastry shop.
elle elle avait fleuré Elle avait fleuré le jardin. She had smelled the garden.
on on avait fleuré On avait fleuré le clocher. One had smelled the bell tower.
nous nous avions fleuré Nous avions fleuré le parfum. We had smelled the perfume.
vous vous aviez fleuré Vous aviez fleuré la soupe. You had smelled the soup.
ils ils avaient fleuré Ils avaient fleuré la boulangerie. They had smelled the bakery.
elles elles avaient fleuré Elles avaient fleuré la salle de bain. They had smelled the bathroom.

Other Conjugations for Fleurer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fleurer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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