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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb parfumer

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The English translation of the French verb parfumer is “to perfume.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “par-fuh-may.”

The word parfumer comes from the Latin word “per fumum,” meaning “through smoke.” It was first used in the 16th century to describe the process of adding scents to something. In everyday French, parfumer is most commonly used in the past tense, specifically the Plus-que-parfait tense, which indicates an action that was completed before another past action.

Some examples of parfumer in the Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  • J’avais parfumé ma chambre avant que mes invités arrivent. (I had perfumed my room before my guests arrived.)
  • Tu avais parfumé tes vêtements avec un parfum floral. (You had perfumed your clothes with a floral scent.)
  • Elle avait parfumé la maison pour l’anniversaire de son mari. (She had perfumed the house for her husband’s birthday.)

In these examples, the action of perfuming took place before the arrival of guests, wearing the clothes, and the birthday celebration. The Plus-que-parfait tense is often used in narratives or to describe a sequence of events in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais parfumé J’avais parfumé la pièce. I had perfumed the room.
tu tu avais parfumé Tu avais parfumé ta peau. You had perfumed your skin.
il il avait parfumé Il avait parfumé ses vêtements. He had perfumed his clothes.
elle elle avait parfumé Elle avait parfumé ses cheveux. She had perfumed her hair.
on on avait parfumé On avait parfumé la maison. One had perfumed the house.
nous nous avions parfumé Nous avions parfumé la salle. We had perfumed the room.
vous vous aviez parfumé Vous aviez parfumé la pièce. You had perfumed the room.
ils ils avaient parfumé Ils avaient parfumé la salle. They had perfumed the room.
elles elles avaient parfumé Elles avaient parfumé la chambre. They had perfumed the bedroom.

Other Conjugations for Parfumer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb parfumer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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