ils flottaient

floated, were floating

→ flotter
flott float + aient 3rd-person plural imperfect
verb · 3rd-person plural, imperfect tense Rare #43,935
floated, were floating
FR: Les feuilles flottaient sur l'eau.
EN: The leaves were floating on the water.
Conjugation of flotter
Indicative imperfect
SingularPlural
Third flottait flottaient

Des nuages aux reflets dorés flottaient très haut dans le ciel.

Golden clouds floated high in the sky.

Les pétales flottaient sur la surface de l'eau.

The petals floated on the surface of the water.

Les drapeaux flottaient au vent.

The flags were fluttering in the wind.

Vingt canots flottaient à proximité, et un seul revint.

Twenty canoes were floating nearby, and only one returned.

— Titanic (1997)

Les voiles flottaient dans le vent.

The sails fluttered in the wind.

Les pétales flottaient à la surface de l'eau.

The petals floated on the surface of the water.