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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb confiner

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The English translation of the French verb confiner is “to confine.” It is pronounced as “koh(n)-fee-neh.”

The word “confiner” comes from the Latin word “confinare,” meaning “to border” or “to limit.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to describe an action that had already been completed before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais confiné mes enfants dans leur chambre avant de commencer à cuisiner. (I had confined my children to their room before starting to cook.)
  2. Elle avait confiné son chat dans la cuisine pendant qu’elle faisait le ménage. (She had confined her cat in the kitchen while she was cleaning.)
  3. Nous avions confiné notre chien dans le jardin pour éviter qu’il ne s’échappe. (We had confined our dog in the garden to prevent him from escaping.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais confiné J’avais confiné mon chat dans la salle de bain. I had confined my cat to the bathroom.
tu tu avais confiné Tu avais confiné toute la famille dans la maison. You had confined the whole family to the house.
il il avait confiné Il avait confiné la ville entière. He had confined the entire city.
elle elle avait confiné Elle avait confiné ses amis dans sa chambre. She had confined her friends to her room.
on on avait confiné On avait confiné les élèves dans la salle de classe. One had confined the students to the classroom.
nous nous avions confiné Nous avions confiné nos voisins dans leur appartement. We had confined our neighbors to their apartment.
vous vous aviez confiné Vous aviez confiné les employés dans leur bureau. You had confined the employees to their office.
ils ils avaient confiné Ils avaient confiné les animaux dans leur enclos. They had confined the animals to their enclosure.
elles elles avaient confiné Elles avaient confiné les invités dans la salle à manger. They had confined the guests to the dining room.

Other Conjugations for Confiner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb confiner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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