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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb fauter

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The English translation of the French verb fauter is “to sin.” The infinitive form, fauter, is pronounced as “foh-teh.”

The word fauter comes from the Latin word “fallere,” meaning “to deceive or disappoint.” It entered the French language in the 12th century and has been used to mean “to commit a sin” ever since.

In everyday French, fauter 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 was completed in the past before another action took place. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. J’avais fauté avant de me repentir. (I had sinned before repenting.)
  2. Tu avais fauté en cachant la vérité. (You had sinned by hiding the truth.)
  3. Ils avaient fauté en refusant de partager. (They had sinned by refusing to share.)

In each of these examples, the verb fauter is conjugated in the Plus-que-parfait tense according to the subject of the sentence. The past participle “fauté” remains the same in all three examples.

In English, the verb “to sin” does not have a past perfect tense. Instead, the past tense (“sinned”) is used to express an action that was completed before another action in the past. However, in French, the Plus-que-parfait tense is used to emphasize the sequence of events and the completion of the action.

Overall, the verb fauter is a common word in French, used in both formal and informal contexts to express the act of committing a sin. Its past perfect tense, Plus-que-parfait, is often used to describe a sin that was committed in the past before another event or action.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais fauté J’avais fauté hier soir. I had sinned last night.
tu tu avais fauté Tu avais fauté en toute innocence. You had sinned innocently.
il il avait fauté Il avait fauté dans son comportement. He had sinned in his behavior.
elle elle avait fauté Elle avait fauté en trahissant sa famille. She had sinned by betraying her family.
on on avait fauté On avait fauté en succombant à la tentation. One had sinned by giving into temptation.
nous nous avions fauté Nous avions fauté en désobéissant aux règles. We had sinned by disobeying the rules.
vous vous aviez fauté Vous aviez fauté en mentant à vos proches. You had sinned by lying to your loved ones.
ils ils avaient fauté Ils avaient fauté en volant de l’argent. They had sinned by stealing money.
elles elles avaient fauté Elles avaient fauté en trichant à l’examen. They had sinned by cheating on the exam.

Other Conjugations for Fauter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fauter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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