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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb pleuvoter

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of pleuvoter. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb pleuvoter is “to drizzle.” The infinitive form of the verb is pronounced “pluh-vuh-teh.”

Pleuvoter comes from the French word “pluie,” meaning “rain,” and the suffix “-oter” which is used to indicate a light or gentle action. It is most often used to describe a light, fine rain or drizzle.

In every day French, pleuvoter is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense indicates an action that was completed before another past action. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Here are three examples of pleuvoter being used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, with their English translations:

  1. J’avais pleuvoté toute la matinée avant que le soleil ne se montre enfin. (I had been drizzling all morning before the sun finally came out.)
  2. Ils étaient rentrés à la maison après avoir pleuvoté pendant des heures. (They had come back home after drizzling for hours.)
  3. Nous avions déjà pique-niqué sous la pluie, mais cette fois-ci c’était différent car il avait pleuvoté toute la journée. (We had already had a picnic in the rain, but this time it was different because it had been drizzling all day.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais pleuvoté J’avais pleuvoté toute la nuit. I had drizzled all night.
tu tu avais pleuvoté Tu avais pleuvoté depuis longtemps. You had drizzled for a long time.
il il avait pleuvoté Il avait pleuvoté pendant des heures. He had drizzled for hours.
elle elle avait pleuvoté Elle avait pleuvoté toute la journée. She had drizzled all day.
on on avait pleuvoté On avait pleuvoté toute la semaine. One had drizzled all week.
nous nous avions pleuvoté Nous avions pleuvoté depuis hier. We had drizzled since yesterday.
vous vous aviez pleuvoté Vous aviez pleuvoté depuis quelques jours. You had drizzled for a few days.
ils ils avaient pleuvoté Ils avaient pleuvoté pendant des mois. They had drizzled for months.
elles elles avaient pleuvoté Elles avaient pleuvoté toute l’année. They had drizzled all year.

Other Conjugations for Pleuvoter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pleuvoter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the pleuvoter Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts