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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb fourmiller

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The English translation of the French verb fourmiller is “to swarm” or “to teem.” The infinitive form of fourmiller is pronounced “foor-mee-yay.”

The word fourmiller is derived from the Old French term “formil,” meaning “ants.” It is often used in everyday French to describe a situation where there is a large number of people or things in a particular place, much like a swarm of ants.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, fourmiller is used to describe an action that had been ongoing in the past before another past action. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Nous avions un bel appartement, mais il fourmillait d’insectes. (We had a nice apartment, but it was swarming with insects.)
  2. Hier soir, la fête était bien animée, la rue fourmillait de gens. (Last night, the party was lively, the street was teeming with people.)
  3. Quand nous sommes arrivés au marché, les étals avaient déjà fourmillé de fruits et légumes. (When we arrived at the market, the stalls were already swarming with fruits and vegetables.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais fourmillé J’avais fourmillé d’idées. I had been brimming with ideas.
tu tu avais fourmillé Tu avais fourmillé de questions. You had been swarming with questions.
il il avait fourmillé Il avait fourmillé de projets. He had been buzzing with projects.
elle elle avait fourmillé Elle avait fourmillé d’impatience. She had been ants in her pants with impatience.
on on avait fourmillé On avait fourmillé de détails. One had been teeming with details.
nous nous avions fourmillé Nous avions fourmillé d’énergie. We had been buzzing with energy.
vous vous aviez fourmillé Vous aviez fourmillé de joie. You had been filled with joy.
ils ils avaient fourmillé Ils avaient fourmillé d’idées. They had been buzzing with ideas.
elles elles avaient fourmillé Elles avaient fourmillé de projets. They had been brimming with projects.

Other Conjugations for Fourmiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fourmiller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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