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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bafouiller

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The English translation of the French verb bafouiller is “to stammer” or “to mumble.” It is pronounced as “ba-foo-yay.”

The word bafouiller comes from the Old French word “ba”, meaning “low” or “base,” and “fouiller,” meaning “to rummage” or “to dig.” It originated in the 13th century and has evolved to its current meaning.

In everyday French, bafouiller is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to describe an action that had been stammering or mumbling in the past. This tense is used to talk about a completed action that happened before another past action.

Here are three examples of bafouiller being used in the Plus-que-parfait tense with their English translations:

  1. J’avais bafouillé tellement de fois pendant mon discours que je n’arrivais plus à parler. (I had stammered so many times during my speech that I couldn’t speak anymore.)

  2. Il avait bafouillé une réponse incohérente lorsque le professeur lui a posé une question. (He had mumbled an incoherent answer when the teacher asked him a question.)

  3. Elle avait bafouillé une excuse pour son retard, mais je savais qu’elle mentait. (She had stumbled over an excuse for her lateness, but I knew she was lying.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais bafouillé J’avais bafouillé mes excuses. I had stammered my apologies.
tu tu avais bafouillé Tu avais bafouillé tes excuses. You had stammered your apologies.
il il avait bafouillé Il avait bafouillé sa réponse. He had stammered his answer.
elle elle avait bafouillé Elle avait bafouillé son nom. She had stammered her name.
on on avait bafouillé On avait bafouillé notre histoire. One had stammered our story.
nous nous avions bafouillé Nous avions bafouillé nos excuses. We had stammered our apologies.
vous vous aviez bafouillé Vous aviez bafouillé vos excuses. You had stammered your apologies.
ils ils avaient bafouillé Ils avaient bafouillé leurs excuses. They had stammered their apologies.
elles elles avaient bafouillé Elles avaient bafouillé leur excuse. They had stammered their excuse.

Other Conjugations for Bafouiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bafouiller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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