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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb fabriquer

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The English translation of the French verb fabriquer is “to make” or “to manufacture.” The infinitive form is pronounced as fa-bree-kay.

Fabriquer comes from the Latin word fabricare, which means “to fashion” or “to create.” It entered the French language in the 12th century and was initially used to refer to the act of creating or constructing something with one’s hands. Over time, its meaning expanded to include all kinds of manufacturing processes, including industrial production.

In everyday French, fabriquer is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to talk about an action that was completed before another past action. Here are three simple examples of fabriquer in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais fabriqué une étagère avant que mon mari ne rentre à la maison. (I had made a shelf before my husband came home.)
  2. Nous avions fabriqué nos propres costumes pour la pièce de théâtre. (We had made our own costumes for the play.)
  3. Ils avaient fabriqué des jouets en bois pour leurs petits-enfants. (They had made wooden toys for their grandchildren.)

In these examples, fabriquer is used to describe a completed action that happened before another past action. The Plus-que-parfait tense helps to give a sense of sequence and time to the sentence.

Overall, fabriquer is a versatile verb that is commonly used in French to express the act of creating, making, or manufacturing something. It is an essential verb to know for anyone learning the language.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais fabriqué J’avais fabriqué un gâteau. I had made a cake.
tu tu avais fabriqué Tu avais fabriqué une chaise. You had made a chair.
il il avait fabriqué Il avait fabriqué une voiture. He had made a car.
elle elle avait fabriqué Elle avait fabriqué une robe. She had made a dress.
on on avait fabriqué On avait fabriqué un meuble. One had made a piece of furniture.
nous nous avions fabriqué Nous avions fabriqué une table. We had made a table.
vous vous aviez fabriqué Vous aviez fabriqué un bijou. You had made a piece of jewelry.
ils ils avaient fabriqué Ils avaient fabriqué une maison. They had made a house.
elles elles avaient fabriqué Elles avaient fabriqué une sculpture. They had made a sculpture.

Other Conjugations for Fabriquer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fabriquer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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