ils coulaient

were flowing, were running

k u . l ɛ → couler
coul to bring down, to ruin + aient they imperfect tense
verb · 3rd-person plural, imperfect tense Rare #42,960
were flowing, were running
FR: Les larmes coulaient sur ses joues.
EN: Tears were streaming down her cheeks.
Conjugation of couler
Indicative imperfect
SingularPlural
Third coulait coulaient

Les larmes coulaient de ses yeux.

Tears were streaming from her eyes.

Elle était là comme une statue, mais ses larmes coulaient.

She stood there like a statue, but her tears were flowing.

— Mon cœur est déjà pris (1999)

Des gouttes de sueur coulaient de son front sur la table.

Drops of sweat ran from his forehead onto the table.

Des larmes de joie coulaient sur leurs joues.

Tears of joy streamed down their cheeks.

Je riais tellement que des larmes coulaient sur mon visage.

I was laughing so hard that tears were streaming down my face.

Mais Passepartout manquait, et des larmes coulaient des yeux de la jeune femme.

But Passepartout was nowhere to be seen, and tears streamed from the young woman’s eyes.

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