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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb focaliser

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of focaliser. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb focaliser is “to focus”. It is pronounced as “fo-ka-lee-zay”. The word is derived from the Latin word “focus” meaning “hearth” or “fireplace”.

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

Three simple examples of focaliser in the Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. J’avais focalisé toute mon attention sur mes études avant de partir en vacances. (I had focused all my attention on my studies before going on vacation.)
  2. Ils étaient déjà focalisés sur les préparatifs de Noël depuis le mois de novembre. (They had already been focused on Christmas preparations since November.)
  3. Elle avait focalisé toutes ses énergies sur son projet avant de le présenter à son patron. (She had focused all her energies on her project before presenting it to her boss.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais focalisé J’avais focalisé mon attention. I had focused my attention.
tu tu avais focalisé Tu avais focalisé ta caméra. You had focused your camera.
il il avait focalisé Il avait focalisé sur le sujet. He had focused on the subject.
elle elle avait focalisé Elle avait focalisé sur la tâche. She had focused on the task.
on on avait focalisé On avait focalisé sur la question. One had focused on the question.
nous nous avions focalisé Nous avions focalisé sur le projet. We had focused on the project.
vous vous aviez focalisé Vous aviez focalisé sur l’objectif. You had focused on the objective.
ils ils avaient focalisé Ils avaient focalisé sur le problème. They had focused on the problem.
elles elles avaient focalisé Elles avaient focalisé sur la réponse. They had focused on the answer.

Other Conjugations for Focaliser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb focaliser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the focaliser Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts