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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bénéficier

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The English translation of the French verb bénéficier is “to benefit” or “to enjoy”. The infinitive form, bénéficier, is pronounced as “bey-ne-fee-syey”.

Bénéficier comes from the Latin word “bene” meaning “well” and “facere” meaning “to do”. It entered the French language in the 14th century with the meaning of “to do good” or “to bring good fortune”. Over time, it evolved to also mean “to receive benefits” or “to enjoy advantages”.

In everyday French, bénéficier is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which corresponds to the English past perfect tense. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action.

Examples of bénéficier in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais bénéficié d’une réduction sur le prix du billet car j’avais réservé à l’avance. (I had benefited from a discount on the ticket price because I had booked in advance.)

  2. Ils avaient bénéficié de l’aide de leurs voisins pour déménager leurs meubles. (They had received help from their neighbors to move their furniture.)

  3. Elle avait bénéficié d’une bourse pour étudier à l’étranger l’année précédente. (She had enjoyed a scholarship to study abroad the previous year.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais bénéficié J’avais bénéficié de l’aide financière. I had benefited from financial aid.
tu tu avais bénéficié Tu avais bénéficié de la réduction. You had benefited from the discount.
il il avait bénéficié Il avait bénéficié de la promotion. He had benefited from the promotion.
elle elle avait bénéficié Elle avait bénéficié de l’offre spéciale. She had benefited from the special offer.
on on avait bénéficié On avait bénéficié de l’aide de nos amis. One had benefited from our friends’ help.
nous nous avions bénéficié Nous avions bénéficié du soutien de notre famille. We had benefited from our family’s support.
vous vous aviez bénéficié Vous aviez bénéficié de l’assistance du service client. You had benefited from the assistance of customer service.
ils ils avaient bénéficié Ils avaient bénéficié de l’aide de leurs collègues. They had benefited from their colleagues’ help.
elles elles avaient bénéficié Elles avaient bénéficié du conseil de leurs professeurs. They had benefited from their teachers’ advice.

Other Conjugations for Bénéficier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bénéficier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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