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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb folâtrer

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The English translation of the French verb folâtrer is “to frolic”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “fo-la-tre.”

The language origin of folâtrer can be traced back to the Old French word “fol” meaning “foolish” or “silly”. It was originally used to describe playful and silly behavior, but over time, its meaning evolved to refer to any type of playful or carefree activity.

In everyday French, folâtrer is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to describe past actions that were completed before another past action. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the imparfait tense followed by the past participle of folâtrer.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Plus-que-parfait tense with the respective English translations:

  1. J’avais folâtré pendant des heures avant de commencer mon travail. (I had frolicked for hours before starting my work.)

  2. Ils étaient fatigués car ils avaient beaucoup folâtré lors de la fête la veille. (They were tired because they had frolicked a lot at the party the night before.)

  3. Elle avait folâtré avec ses amis toute la journée et n’avait pas réalisé qu’elle était en retard pour son rendez-vous. (She had frolicked with her friends all day and had not realized she was late for her appointment.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais folâtré J’avais folâtré dans le parc. I had frolicked in the park.
tu tu avais folâtré Tu avais folâtré avec les chiens. You had frolicked with the dogs.
il il avait folâtré Il avait folâtré avec les enfants. He had frolicked with the children.
elle elle avait folâtré Elle avait folâtré sur la plage. She had frolicked on the beach.
on on avait folâtré On avait folâtré dans les champs. One had frolicked in the fields.
nous nous avions folâtré Nous avions folâtré dans la forêt. We had frolicked in the forest.
vous vous aviez folâtré Vous aviez folâtré dans le jardin. You had frolicked in the garden.
ils ils avaient folâtré Ils avaient folâtré dans les rues. They had frolicked in the streets.
elles elles avaient folâtré Elles avaient folâtré dans le parc. They had frolicked in the park.

Other Conjugations for Folâtrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb folâtrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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