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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb fortifier

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of fortifier. 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 fortifier is “to fortify.” It is pronounced as “for-tee-fee-ay.”

The origin of fortifier can be traced back to the Latin word “fortificare,” meaning “to strengthen” or “to make strong.” It entered the French language in the 12th century.

In everyday French, fortifier 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 past action or point in time.

Here are three examples of fortifier in the Plus-que-parfait tense, with their English translations:

  1. J’avais fortifié les murs avant l’attaque ennemie.
    I had fortified the walls before the enemy attack.

  2. Elle avait fortifié son corps en s’entraînant tous les jours.
    She had fortified her body by training every day.

  3. Les soldats avaient fortifié leur position avant l’arrivée de l’ennemi.
    The soldiers had fortified their position before the arrival of the enemy.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais fortifié J’avais fortifié le château. I had fortified the castle.
tu tu avais fortifié Tu avais fortifié les murs. You had fortified the walls.
il il avait fortifié Il avait fortifié la forteresse. He had fortified the fortress.
elle elle avait fortifié Elle avait fortifié le rempart. She had fortified the rampart.
on on avait fortifié On avait fortifié la position. One had fortified the position.
nous nous avions fortifié Nous avions fortifié la ville. We had fortified the city.
vous vous aviez fortifié Vous aviez fortifié la frontière. You had fortified the border.
ils ils avaient fortifié Ils avaient fortifié le camp. They had fortified the camp.
elles elles avaient fortifié Elles avaient fortifié la citadelle. They had fortified the citadel.

Other Conjugations for Fortifier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fortifier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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 fortifier Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts