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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb ficeler

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The English translation of the French verb ficeler is “to tie,” “to bind,” or “to string.” It is pronounced “fee-suh-lay” in the infinitive form.

Ficeler comes from the Old French word “fieceler,” which means “to tie with a string” or “to bind tightly.” It is derived from the Latin word “funiculus,” which means “a small rope” or “a cord.”

In everyday French, ficeler is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to indicate an action that was completed before another action in the past. It corresponds to the English past perfect tense.

Examples:

  1. J’avais ficelé le paquet avant de partir en vacances. (I had tied the package before leaving for vacation.)
  2. Elle avait ficelé ses cheveux en une tresse élégante pour le mariage. (She had braided her hair in an elegant braid for the wedding.)
  3. Les enfants avaient ficelé leur projet de construction depuis des semaines avant de le présenter. (The children had been working on their building project for weeks before presenting it.)

In these examples, the action of tying or binding occurred before another action in the past (leaving for vacation, attending a wedding, presenting a project). The Plus-que-parfait tense is used to show that the tying or binding was already completed before these actions took place.

In summary, ficeler is a French verb meaning “to tie,” “to bind,” or “to string.” It is derived from the Latin word “funiculus” and is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to indicate an action that was completed before another action in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais ficelé J’avais ficelé le paquet. I had tied up the package.
tu tu avais ficelé Tu avais ficelé la viande. You had tied up the meat.
il il avait ficelé Il avait ficelé les légumes. He had tied up the vegetables.
elle elle avait ficelé Elle avait ficelé le bouquet. She had tied up the bouquet.
on on avait ficelé On avait ficelé le sac. One had tied up the bag.
nous nous avions ficelé Nous avions ficelé les cadeaux. We had tied up the gifts.
vous vous aviez ficelé Vous aviez ficelé les valises. You had tied up the suitcases.
ils ils avaient ficelé Ils avaient ficelé les palettes. They had tied up the pallets.
elles elles avaient ficelé Elles avaient ficelé les fleurs. They had tied up the flowers.

Other Conjugations for Ficeler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb ficeler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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