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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb pulluler

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The English translation of the French verb pulluler is “to swarm” or “to proliferate.” The infinitive form of pulluler is pronounced “poo-loo-lay.”

The word pulluler comes from the Latin verb “pullulare,” meaning “to sprout” or “to grow.” It entered the French language in the 16th century and is derived from the noun “pullulation,” which refers to the act of sprouting or budding. In everyday French, pulluler is most often used in a figurative sense to describe the rapid and abundant growth or spread of something.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, pulluler is used to describe an action that had already been occurring in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense with their English translations:

  1. Les cafards pullulaient déjà dans la cuisine lorsque nous sommes arrivés. (Cockroaches were already swarming in the kitchen when we arrived.)
  2. Les rumeurs de cette affaire avaient pullulé dans tout le quartier avant que la vérité ne soit révélée. (Rumors about this case had proliferated throughout the neighborhood before the truth was revealed.)
  3. Les fleurs pullulaient dans le jardin avant que le temps ne devienne trop froid. (The flowers were swarming in the garden before the weather turned too cold.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais pullulé J’avais pullulé de joie. I had been overflowing with joy.
tu tu avais pullulé Tu avais pullulé de fleurs. You had been teeming with flowers.
il il avait pullulé Il avait pullulé de moustiques. He had been swarming with mosquitoes.
elle elle avait pullulé Elle avait pullulé de papillons. She had been filled with butterflies.
on on avait pullulé On avait pullulé de cafards. One had been infested with cockroaches.
nous nous avions pullulé Nous avions pullulé de cafés. We had been bustling with cafes.
vous vous aviez pullulé Vous aviez pullulé de touristes. You had been crowded with tourists.
ils ils avaient pullulé Ils avaient pullulé d’idées. They had been overflowing with ideas.
elles elles avaient pullulé Elles avaient pullulé de boutiques. They had been teeming with shops.

Other Conjugations for Pulluler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb pulluler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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