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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb fainéanter

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The English translation of the French verb fainéanter is “to laze around” or “to idle”. The infinitive form is pronounced “feh-neh-ahn-tay”.

The word fainéanter comes from the Old French word “fainéant”, meaning “idle” or “do nothing”. It is derived from the words “faire” (to do) and “néant” (nothing).

In everyday French, fainéanter is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses an action that was completed in the past before another action took place. It is usually translated to English as “had idled” or “had been lazing around”.

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

  1. J’avais fainéanté toute la journée avant de commencer mon travail. (I had idled all day before starting my work.)

  2. Ils avaient fainéanté pendant des heures avant de se mettre au travail. (They had been lazing around for hours before getting to work.)

  3. Elle avait fainéanté pendant les vacances plutôt que de travailler sur son projet. (She had been idling during her vacation instead of working on her project.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais fainéanté J’avais fainéanté toute la journée. I had lazed around all day.
tu tu avais fainéanté Tu avais fainéanté au lieu d’étudier. You had lazed around instead of studying.
il il avait fainéanté Il avait fainéanté au lieu de travailler. He had lazed around instead of working.
elle elle avait fainéanté Elle avait fainéanté au lieu de faire le ménage. She had lazed around instead of doing the housework.
on on avait fainéanté On avait fainéanté au lieu de se promener. One had lazed around instead of going for a walk.
nous nous avions fainéanté Nous avions fainéanté au lieu de ranger la maison. We had lazed around instead of tidying the house.
vous vous aviez fainéanté Vous aviez fainéanté au lieu de faire vos devoirs. You had lazed around instead of doing your homework.
ils ils avaient fainéanté Ils avaient fainéanté au lieu de travailler dans le jardin. They had lazed around instead of working in the garden.
elles elles avaient fainéanté Elles avaient fainéanté au lieu de faire du sport. They had lazed around instead of doing sports.

Other Conjugations for Fainéanter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fainéanter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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