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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb flipper

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The English translation of the French verb flipper is “to flip,” and the infinitive form is pronounced “flee-per.”

The word “flipper” is of English origin and comes from the verb “flip,” which means to toss or turn quickly. It is most commonly used in everyday French in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to talk about actions that were completed before another past action.

Three simple examples of “flipper” in the Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. J’avais flippé le livre avant de le ranger. (I had flipped through the book before putting it away.)
  2. Tu avais flippé les cartes avant que je ne les vois. (You had flipped the cards before I saw them.)
  3. Ils avaient flippé la crêpe avant de la servir. (They had flipped the crepe before serving it.)

English translations:

  1. I had flipped through the book before putting it away.
  2. You had flipped the cards before I saw them.
  3. They had flipped the crepe before serving it.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais flippé J’avais flippé en voyant une araignée. I had freaked out when I saw a spider.
tu tu avais flippé Tu avais flippé en regardant un film d’horreur. You had freaked out while watching a horror movie.
il il avait flippé Il avait flippé en découvrant la vérité. He had freaked out when he discovered the truth.
elle elle avait flippé Elle avait flippé en entendant un bruit étrange. She had freaked out when she heard a strange noise.
on on avait flippé On avait flippé en voyant une ombre. One had freaked out when seeing a shadow.
nous nous avions flippé Nous avions flippé en faisant du saut à l’élastique. We had freaked out while bungee jumping.
vous vous aviez flippé Vous aviez flippé en entrant dans la maison hantée. You had freaked out when entering the haunted house.
ils ils avaient flippé Ils avaient flippé en essayant le nouveau manège. They had freaked out while trying the new rollercoaster.
elles elles avaient flippé Elles avaient flippé en se perdant dans la forêt. They had freaked out while getting lost in the forest.

Other Conjugations for Flipper.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb flipper
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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