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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb affurer

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The English translation of the French verb affurer is “to guarantee” or “to ensure.” The infinitive form is pronounced “ah-fyoo-ray.”

The word affurer comes from the Old French word “afurir,” which means “to confirm.” It is derived from the Latin word “affirmare,” meaning “to confirm” or “to assert.”

In everyday French, affurer is commonly used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to express an action that was completed in the past before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of affurer being used in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais affuré que tu serais là à l’heure. (I had guaranteed you would be there on time.)
  2. Il avait affuré que le projet serait terminé avant la fin de l’année. (He had ensured that the project would be completed before the end of the year.)
  3. Nous avions affuré que la voiture était en bon état. (We had guaranteed that the car was in good condition.)

Overall, affurer is commonly used in situations where someone is making a promise or guarantee about something that has already happened in the past. It is often used in formal or professional contexts.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais affuré J’avais affuré mon couteau. I had sharpened my knife.
tu tu avais affuré Tu avais affuré tes crayons. You had sharpened your pencils.
il il avait affuré Il avait affuré son rasoir. He had sharpened his razor.
elle elle avait affuré Elle avait affuré ses ciseaux. She had sharpened her scissors.
on on avait affuré On avait affuré la lame. One had sharpened the blade.
nous nous avions affuré Nous avions affuré les outils. We had sharpened the tools.
vous vous aviez affuré Vous aviez affuré la hache. You had sharpened the axe.
ils ils avaient affuré Ils avaient affuré les couteaux. They had sharpened the knives.
elles elles avaient affuré Elles avaient affuré les ciseaux. They had sharpened the scissors.

Other Conjugations for Affurer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb affurer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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