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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb faner

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The English translation of the French verb faner is “to wilt” or “to fade.” It is pronounced as “fa-neh.”

The word faner comes from the Old French word “fan” meaning “to wither,” and the suffix “-er” used to form verbs. It is most often used in everyday French to describe the wilting or fading of plants, flowers, or other organic matter. However, it can also be used figuratively to describe a person or object losing vitality or energy.

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, faner is used to express a past action that may have happened before another past action. It is formed by using the past subjunctive form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” followed by the past participle of faner.

Three simple examples of the usage of faner in this tense are:

  1. J’avais peur que les fleurs aient fané avant la cérémonie. (I was afraid that the flowers had wilted before the ceremony.)

  2. Elle était triste que sa beauté se soit fanée avec l’âge. (She was sad that her beauty had faded with age.)

  3. Nous avons trouvé le jardin en piteux état car il n’avait pas plu depuis des semaines et tout avait fané. (We found the garden in a sorry state because it hadn’t rained in weeks and everything had wilted.)

  4. I was scared that the flowers had wilted before the ceremony.

  5. She was sad that her beauty had faded with age.

  6. We found the garden in a sorry state because it hadn’t rained in weeks and everything had wilted.

Table of the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of faner

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse fané J’aurais aimé que je eusse fané. I wish I had wilted.
tu eusses fané J’aurais aimé que tu eusses fané. I wish you had wilted.
il eût fané J’aurais aimé qu’il eût fané. I wish he had wilted.
elle eût fané J’aurais aimé qu’elle eût fané. I wish she had wilted.
on eût fané J’aurais aimé qu’on eût fané. I wish one had wilted.
nous eussions fané J’aurais aimé que nous eussions fané. I wish we had wilted.
vous eussiez fané J’aurais aimé que vous eussiez fané. I wish you had wilted.
ils eussent fané J’aurais aimé qu’ils eussent fané. I wish they had wilted.
elles eussent fané J’aurais aimé qu’elles eussent fané. I wish they had wilted.

Other Conjugations for Faner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb faner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb faner
    (this article)

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Faner – About the French Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense

The French Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait, also known as the Pluperfect Subjunctive, is a verb tense used to express actions or states that occurred before another action in the past, and it’s used in situations where the indicative mood is in the past subjunctive or conditional mood.
NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation

To form the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait, you start with the imperfect subjunctive form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être,” followed by the past participle of the main verb. 
For “avoir” verbs: Take the imperfect subjunctive form of “avoir” (e.g., j’eusse, tu eusses, il/elle eût, nous eussions, vous eussiez, ils/elles eussent). Add the past participle of the main verb. 
For “être” verbs: Take the imperfect subjunctive form of “être” (e.g., je fusse, tu fusses, il/elle fût, nous fussions, vous fussiez, ils/elles fussent). Add the past participle of the main verb.

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

Hypothetical Situations

The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait is often used to express hypothetical or unreal actions that occurred before another past action.
For example: J’aurais aimé que tu aies fini ton travail avant que je sois arrivé. (I would have liked for you to have finished your work before I arrived.) 

Reported Speech

In reported speech, you may use the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait to convey what someone said or thought in the past. 
For example: Il m’a dit qu’il avait peur que je n’aie pas compris. (He told me that he was afraid that I hadn’t understood.) 

Doubt, Wishes, and Emotions

This tense can also be used to express doubt, wishes, and emotions about past actions. 
For example: Je doutais qu’il eût dit la vérité. (I doubted that he had told the truth.) 
J’aurais souhaité que tu fusses venu. (I would have wished for you to have come.)

Interactions with Other Tenses

Present Subjunctive

The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait can be used to describe past actions when the main verb is in the present subjunctive. 
For example: “Il faut que j’aie fini mon travail avant que tu partes.” (I must have finished my work before you leave.) 

Imperfect Subjunctive

It’s common to use the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait with the imperfect subjunctive in complex sentences. 
For example: “Il m’avait dit qu’il fût rentré avant la fin de la journée.” (He had told me that he had returned before the end of the day.) 

Conditional

When the main verb is in the conditional mood, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait can be used to express past unreal conditions. 
For example: “Si j’avais su, j’aurais voulu que tu aies réussi.” (If I had known, I would have wanted you to have succeeded.)

Summary

The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait is a complex tense used to convey nuanced meanings in French. While its usage may seem intricate, it becomes more intuitive with practice and exposure to the language. It’s important to understand the context in which it’s used, as it often conveys subtleties of time, conditionality, and emotion in French sentences.

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