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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb fluctuer

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The English translation of the French verb fluctuer is “to fluctuate.” The infinitive form of the verb is pronounced “fluhk-too-ay.”

The word “fluctuer” comes from the Latin word “fluctuare,” meaning “to flow” or “to wave.” In everyday French, it is most often used to describe something that is changing or varying.

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

  1. J’avais fluctué entre l’optimisme et le pessimisme toute la journée. (I had fluctuated between optimism and pessimism all day.)
  2. Les prix avaient fluctué considérablement avant de se stabiliser. (The prices had fluctuated significantly before stabilizing.)
  3. Il avait fluctué entre le poste de directeur et celui de directeur adjoint avant de prendre sa décision. (He had fluctuated between the position of director and that of deputy director before making his decision.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais fluctué J’avais fluctué entre deux décisions. I had fluctuated between two decisions.
tu tu avais fluctué Tu avais fluctué entre l’espoir et le désespoir. You had fluctuated between hope and despair.
il il avait fluctué Il avait fluctué en bourse. He had fluctuated in the stock market.
elle elle avait fluctué Elle avait fluctué dans ses émotions. She had fluctuated in her emotions.
on on avait fluctué On avait fluctué entre les deux possibilités. One had fluctuated between the two possibilities.
nous nous avions fluctué Nous avions fluctué dans nos décisions. We had fluctuated in our decisions.
vous vous aviez fluctué Vous aviez fluctué dans vos choix. You had fluctuated in your choices.
ils ils avaient fluctué Ils avaient fluctué dans leur opinion. They had fluctuated in their opinion.
elles elles avaient fluctué Elles avaient fluctué dans leurs décisions. They had fluctuated in their decisions.

Other Conjugations for Fluctuer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fluctuer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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