pleuraient

Pleuraient is the third-person plural imperfect indicative form of the French verb pleurer. The verb pleurer translates to "to cry" in English. Therefore, "pleuraient" specifically means "they were crying" or "they used to cry." The imperfect tense in French is used to describe ongoing actions or states of being in the past, as well as habitual actions or descriptions.

For example, in a sentence like "Les enfants pleuraient parce qu'ils avaient faim," the word "pleuraient" indicates that the children were in the state of crying over a period of time in the past due to their hunger. Another instance could be "Quand elle était petite, elle pleuraient souvent," which translates to "When she was little, she used to cry often," illustrating a habitual action in the past. Understanding the conjugation and usage of verbs like "pleurer" is fundamental to comprehending French grammar and expressing past events accurately. The imperfect tense, as exemplified by "pleuraient," allows for a nuanced portrayal of past actions, conveying duration, continuity, or repetition.