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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb financer

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The English translation of the French verb financer is “to finance.” The infinitive form of financer is pronounced as “fee-nahn-say.”

The word financer comes from the French word “finance,” which derives from the Latin word “finis” meaning “end” or “boundary.” It first appeared in French in the 15th century and was primarily used in financial and economic contexts.

In everyday French, financer is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of the verb.

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

  1. J’avais financé mes études avant de trouver un emploi. (I had financed my studies before finding a job.)
  2. Nous avions financé notre voyage avec nos économies. (We had financed our trip with our savings.)
  3. Ils étaient partis en vacances après avoir financé leur maison. (They had gone on vacation after financing their house.)

In each of these examples, the action of financing occurred before another action in the past. In English, this tense is often translated as “had + past participle.” So, in the first example, the translation would be “I had financed” and in the second example, it would be “We had financed,” and so on.

In conclusion, financer is a French verb meaning “to finance” and it is most commonly used in financial and economic contexts. In the Plus-que-parfait tense, it is used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais financé J’avais financé mon projet. I had financed my project.
tu tu avais financé Tu avais financé ton voyage. You had financed your trip.
il il avait financé Il avait financé son entreprise. He had financed his business.
elle elle avait financé Elle avait financé sa voiture. She had financed her car.
on on avait financé On avait financé le projet. One had financed the project.
nous nous avions financé Nous avions financé nos études. We had financed our studies.
vous vous aviez financé Vous aviez financé votre maison. You had financed your house.
ils ils avaient financé Ils avaient financé leur mariage. They had financed their wedding.
elles elles avaient financé Elles avaient financé leur voyage. They had financed their trip.

Other Conjugations for Financer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb financer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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