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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb fouiner

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The English translation of the French verb fouiner is “to nose around” or “to snoop.” The infinitive form, fouiner, is pronounced “foo-ee-nay.”

The word fouiner comes from the Old French word “fouin,” meaning “ferret” or “weasel.” It is most often used in colloquial or informal language to describe someone who is nosy or prying into other people’s business.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, fouiner is conjugated with the auxiliary verb “avoir” and the past participle “fouiné” to indicate an action that had already been completed in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. J’avais fouiné dans ses affaires avant qu’il ne rentre à la maison. (I had snooped through his things before he came home.)
  2. Tu avais fouiné dans mes messages avant que je ne te le dise. (You had nosed around in my messages before I told you.)
  3. Ils avaient fouiné dans ses dossiers avant qu’elle ne le découvre. (They had poked around in her files before she found out.)

In these examples, the verb fouiner is used to describe past actions of snooping or prying into someone else’s personal belongings or information. Its usage in the Plus-que-parfait tense emphasizes that the action had already been completed before another event or action took place.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais fouiné J’avais fouiné dans ton sac. I had rummaged through your bag.
tu tu avais fouiné Tu avais fouiné dans ses affaires. You had snooped in his/her belongings.
il il avait fouiné Il avait fouiné dans le tiroir. He had poked around in the drawer.
elle elle avait fouiné Elle avait fouiné dans la boîte. She had pried into the box.
on on avait fouiné On avait fouiné dans le placard. One had nosed around in the closet.
nous nous avions fouiné Nous avions fouiné dans la cave. We had searched through the cellar.
vous vous aviez fouiné Vous aviez fouiné dans le frigo. You had poked around in the fridge.
ils ils avaient fouiné Ils avaient fouiné dans le sac. They had rummaged through the bag.
elles elles avaient fouiné Elles avaient fouiné dans les papiers. They had snooped through the papers.

Other Conjugations for Fouiner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb fouiner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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