pleuvoir

Pleuvoir is a French verb meaning "to rain." It is an intransitive, weather-related verb that is used almost exclusively with the impersonal subject il, as in il pleut to describe rainfall. Other person forms are rarely used in modern speech and are typically found only in literary or historical contexts.

Etymology and related forms: Pleuvoir derives from Old French pleuvoir, itself from Latin or Vulgar Latin pluere or pluvēre, related to pluvia meaning rain. The verb has cognates in other Romance languages, such as llover in Spanish, piovere in Italian, and chover in Portuguese. The related adjective pluvial is derived from the same root.

Conjugation and usage: Because pleuvoir is essentially an impersonal weather verb, its present tense occurs almost only in the form il pleut. Other tenses exist for literary or historical reference and in dependent clauses. Typical forms include:

- Present: il pleut

- Imperfect: il pleuvait

- Passé composé: il a plu

- Plus-que-parfait: il avait plu

- Passé simple: il plut (literary)

- Futur: il pleuvra

- Futur antérieur: il aura plu

- Conditionnel présent: il pleuvrait

- Conditionnel passé: il aurait plu

- Subjonctif présent: qu'il pleuve

- Subjonctif passé: qu'il ait plu

- Subjonctif plus-que-parfait: qu'il eût plu

Idiomatic usage and examples: Common expressions include il pleut des cordes and il pleut à verse, both indicating heavy rain. The verb is primarily used to describe weather conditions; it is not used transitively with direct objects.

See also: French weather verbs; related Romance-language verbs for rain.