Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb failler
Introduction to the verb failler
The English translation of the French verb failler is “to fail.” The infinitive form is pronounced “fah-yay.”
The origin of the word failler comes from the Old French word “faillir,” meaning “to fail.” It ultimately comes from the Latin word “fallere,” which has the same meaning.
In everyday French, failler is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to talk about an action that had already been completed in the past before another action took place.
Three simple examples of failler in the Plus-que-parfait tense include:
-
J’avais failli rater mon train quand mon ami est arrivé en retard. (I had almost missed my train when my friend arrived late.)
-
Tu avais failli oublier ton anniversaire avant que je te rappelle. (You had nearly forgotten your birthday before I reminded you.)
-
Elle avait failli tomber en courant dans les escaliers. (She had almost fallen while running down the stairs.)
Table of the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of failler
Pronoun | Conjugation | Short Example | English Translation |
---|---|---|---|
je | j’avais failli | J’avais failli manquer le bus. | I had almost missed the bus. |
tu | tu avais failli | Tu avais failli échouer. | You had almost failed. |
il | il avait failli | Il avait failli tomber. | He had almost fallen. |
elle | elle avait failli | Elle avait failli oublier son sac. | She had almost forgotten her bag. |
on | on avait failli | On avait failli se perdre. | One had almost gotten lost. |
nous | nous avions failli | Nous avions failli manquer la fête. | We had almost missed the party. |
vous | vous aviez failli | Vous aviez failli abandonner. | You had almost given up. |
ils | ils avaient failli | Ils avaient failli se blesser. | They had almost gotten hurt. |
elles | elles avaient failli | Elles avaient failli rater l’examen. | They had almost failed the exam. |
Other Conjugations for Failler.
Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb failler
Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb failler
Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb failler
Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb failler
Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb failler
Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb failler
Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb failler (this article)
Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb failler
Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb failler
Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb failler
Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb failler
Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb failler
Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb failler
Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb failler
Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb failler
L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb failler
L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb failler
Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥
Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the failler Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!
Failler – About the French Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense
Tense Formation
Common everyday usage patterns
Sequencing of past events
Background information
Hypothetical or reported speech
Interactions with other tenses
Summary
I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb failler. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!