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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb fêter

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The English translation of the French verb fêter is “to celebrate.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “fay-tay.”

The word fêter comes from the Latin word “festum,” meaning “feast” or “celebration.” In everyday French, it is most often used to describe a celebration or party, such as a birthday or holiday. However, it can also be used in a broader sense to describe any kind of commemoration or festivity.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English, fêter is used to express an action that had already been completed in the past before another past action. For example:

  1. Nous avions fêté son anniversaire avant qu’il ne parte en vacances. (We had celebrated his birthday before he went on vacation.)
  2. J’avais fêté mon diplôme avant que je commence à travailler. (I had celebrated my graduation before I started working.)
  3. Ils avaient fêté leur mariage bien des années auparavant. (They had celebrated their wedding many years ago.)

These sentences all express actions that had been completed in the past before another past action took place. In this tense, fêter is often used to describe a specific event or occasion that had been celebrated in the past.

In conclusion, the French verb fêter means “to celebrate” and is commonly used in everyday French to describe a party or commemoration. In the Plus-que-parfait tense, it is used to indicate a past action that had been completed before another past action.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais fêté J’avais fêté mon anniversaire. I had celebrated my birthday.
tu tu avais fêté Tu avais fêté ton diplôme. You had celebrated your graduation.
il il avait fêté Il avait fêté son mariage. He had celebrated his wedding.
elle elle avait fêté Elle avait fêté sa promotion. She had celebrated her promotion.
on on avait fêté On avait fêté la victoire. One had celebrated the victory.
nous nous avions fêté Nous avions fêté Noël ensemble. We had celebrated Christmas together.
vous vous aviez fêté Vous aviez fêté votre anniversaire. You had celebrated your birthday.
ils ils avaient fêté Ils avaient fêté la naissance de leur enfant. They had celebrated the birth of their child.
elles elles avaient fêté Elles avaient fêté leur victoire. They had celebrated their victory.

Other Conjugations for Fêter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fêter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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