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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb léviger

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The English translation of the French verb léviger is “to smooth” or “to polish.” It is pronounced as “lay-vee-zhay.”

The word léviger comes from the Latin word “levigare,” which means “to make smooth.” It entered the French language in the 16th century and is derived from the Latin prefix “levis,” meaning “light” or “smooth.”

In everyday French, léviger 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 completed before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of léviger in the Plus-que-parfait tense with their English translations:

  1. J’avais lévigé la table avant que mes invités n’arrivent. (I had smoothed the table before my guests arrived.)

  2. Il avait lévigé la pierre jusqu’à ce qu’elle brille. (He had polished the stone until it shone.)

  3. Nous avions lévigé toutes les surfaces de la voiture avant de la vendre. (We had smoothed all the surfaces of the car before selling it.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais lévigé J’avais lévigé la sauce. I had smoothed out the sauce.
tu tu avais lévigé Tu avais lévigé le tissu. You had smoothed out the fabric.
il il avait lévigé Il avait lévigé le sol. He had smoothed out the floor.
elle elle avait lévigé Elle avait lévigé la peau. She had smoothed out the skin.
on on avait lévigé On avait lévigé le bois. One had smoothed out the wood.
nous nous avions lévigé Nous avions lévigé la pâte. We had smoothed out the dough.
vous vous aviez lévigé Vous aviez lévigé la surface. You had smoothed out the surface.
ils ils avaient lévigé Ils avaient lévigé le papier. They had smoothed out the paper.
elles elles avaient lévigé Elles avaient lévigé la toile. They had smoothed out the canvas.

Other Conjugations for Léviger.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb léviger
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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