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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb fouler

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The English translation of fouler is “to tread” or “to trample.” The infinitive form is pronounced “foo-lay.”

The word fouler comes from the Old French word “fuler,” which means “to press” or “to crush.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to refer to an action that was completed before another past action.

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

  1. Hier, j’avais foulé les feuilles en marchant dans la forêt. (Yesterday, I had trampled the leaves while walking in the forest.)

  2. Quand elle est arrivée, les enfants avaient déjà foulé le sable de la plage. (When she arrived, the children had already trampled the sand on the beach.)

  3. Ils avaient foulé le raisin pour faire du vin avant la tombée de la nuit. (They had trodden the grapes to make wine before nightfall.)

In these examples, the action of “fouler” is completed before another past action (walking in the forest, arriving, and nightfall). The Plus-que-parfait tense is often used in storytelling or when recounting events that happened in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais foulé J’avais foulé le tapis. I had walked on the rug.
tu tu avais foulé Tu avais foulé le territoire. You had trespassed on the territory.
il il avait foulé Il avait foulé le sol. He had trampled on the ground.
elle elle avait foulé Elle avait foulé la pelouse. She had stepped on the lawn.
on on avait foulé On avait foulé le parquet. One had walked on the wooden floor.
nous nous avions foulé Nous avions foulé le chemin. We had walked on the path.
vous vous aviez foulé Vous aviez foulé le sable. You had walked on the sand.
ils ils avaient foulé Ils avaient foulé le sentier. They had walked on the trail.
elles elles avaient foulé Elles avaient foulé le sol. They had trampled on the ground.

Other Conjugations for Fouler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fouler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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