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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb balancer

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The English translation of the French verb balancer is “to balance” or “to swing.” The infinitive form is pronounced “bah-lahn-say.”

The word balancer comes from the Old French word “baloer,” meaning “to rock or sway.” It is most often used in every day French 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 three simple examples of how balancer is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense in everyday French:

  1. J’avais balancé la balle avant qu’il ne la rattrape. (I had thrown the ball before he caught it.)
  2. Elle avait balancé ses affaires dans la valise avant de partir. (She had packed her things in the suitcase before leaving.)
  3. Nous avions balancé nos idées avant de prendre une décision. (We had discussed our ideas before making a decision.)

In each of these examples, the action of “balancer” (to throw, to pack, to discuss) was completed before another past action (catching the ball, leaving, making a decision). This tense is often used in storytelling or when describing a sequence of events in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais balancé J’avais balancé mon sac sur le sol. I had thrown my bag on the ground.
tu tu avais balancé Tu avais balancé la balle dans l’air. You had tossed the ball in the air.
il il avait balancé Il avait balancé la chaise en arrière. He had leaned the chair back.
elle elle avait balancé Elle avait balancé la corde avec force. She had swung the rope with force.
on on avait balancé On avait balancé les clés à travers la pièce. One had tossed the keys across the room.
nous nous avions balancé Nous avions balancé les sacs par la fenêtre. We had thrown the bags out the window.
vous vous aviez balancé Vous aviez balancé les pierres dans l’eau. You had thrown the stones into the water.
ils ils avaient balancé Ils avaient balancé la bouteille de main en main. They had passed the bottle back and forth.
elles elles avaient balancé Elles avaient balancé les bras en chantant. They had swung their arms while singing.

Other Conjugations for Balancer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb balancer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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