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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb flirter

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The English translation of flirter is “to flirt.” The infinitive form of flirter is pronounced “flee-tay.”

Flirter comes from the French word “fleureter,” meaning “to say sweet nothings.” It is derived from the Old French word “fleur,” meaning “flower,” which was often used as a symbol of courtship and love.

In everyday French, flirter is commonly used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that was already completed in the past before another past action occurred.

Here are 3 simple examples of flirter in the Plus-que-parfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais flirté avec elle avant de rencontrer ma femme. (I had flirted with her before meeting my wife.)
  2. Tu avais flirté avec lui quand tu étais jeune. (You had flirted with him when you were young.)
  3. Ils avaient flirté ensemble pendant toute la soirée. (They had flirted together the whole evening.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais flirté J’avais flirté avec elle. I had flirted with her.
tu tu avais flirté Tu avais flirté avec lui. You had flirted with him.
il il avait flirté Il avait flirté avec une autre fille. He had flirted with another girl.
elle elle avait flirté Elle avait flirté avec son collègue. She had flirted with her colleague.
on on avait flirté On avait flirté lors de la soirée. One had flirted during the party.
nous nous avions flirté Nous avions flirté pendant des mois. We had flirted for months.
vous vous aviez flirté Vous aviez flirté avec plusieurs personnes. You had flirted with multiple people.
ils ils avaient flirté Ils avaient flirté avec les mêmes filles. They had flirted with the same girls.
elles elles avaient flirté Elles avaient flirté avec leurs partenaires. They had flirted with their partners.

Other Conjugations for Flirter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb flirter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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