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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb justifier

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The English translation of the French verb justifier is to justify. It is pronounced “zhuh-stee-fee-ay” in the infinitive form.

The language origin of justifier can be traced back to the Latin word “justificare,” which means to make or declare righteous or just. In everyday French, justifier is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action.

Here are 3 simple examples of justifier used in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais justifié mes absences avant que mes parents ne découvrent la vérité. (I had justified my absences before my parents discovered the truth.)
  2. Tu avais justifié ta colère en expliquant tes raisons. (You had justified your anger by explaining your reasons.)
  3. Il avait justifié son retard en racontant une histoire plausible. (He had justified his lateness by telling a plausible story.)

English translations:

  1. I had justified my absences before my parents discovered the truth.
  2. You had justified your anger by explaining your reasons.
  3. He had justified his lateness by telling a plausible story.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais justifié J’avais justifié mon absence. I had justified my absence.
tu tu avais justifié Tu avais justifié ta décision. You had justified your decision.
il il avait justifié Il avait justifié ses actes. He had justified his actions.
elle elle avait justifié Elle avait justifié sa position. She had justified her position.
on on avait justifié On avait justifié notre choix. One had justified our choice.
nous nous avions justifié Nous avions justifié notre erreur. We had justified our mistake.
vous vous aviez justifié Vous aviez justifié votre refus. You had justified your refusal.
ils ils avaient justifié Ils avaient justifié leur comportement. They had justified their behavior.
elles elles avaient justifié Elles avaient justifié leur absence. They had justified their absence.

Other Conjugations for Justifier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb justifier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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