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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb finasser

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The English translation of the French verb finasser is “to finagle/to beat around the bush”. The infinitive form of finasser is pronounced as “fee-nah-say”.

The word finasser comes from the Old French word “finer”, which means “to finish”. It is derived from the Latin word “finis”, meaning “end” or “limit”. In everyday French, finasser is used to describe someone who is being clever or cunning in order to achieve their goals, often using deceitful or manipulative tactics.

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, finasser is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action that took place before another past action. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle “fini” and the subjunctive auxiliary verb “être” in the imperfect tense.

Here are three examples of finasser in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais fini par finasser pour obtenir la promotion. (I had ended up finagling to get the promotion.)
  2. Il avait fini par finasser pour convaincre ses parents de lui acheter une voiture. (He had ended up beating around the bush to convince his parents to buy him a car.)
  3. Nous avions fini par finasser pour obtenir la meilleure offre. (We had ended up finagling to get the best deal.)

In these examples, finasser is used to indicate that the action was done in a sly or sneaky manner in order to achieve a desired outcome. The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense adds a layer of uncertainty to the actions, suggesting that the person may not have been successful in their finagling.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Finasser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb finasser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Finasser – 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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