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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb balbutier

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The English translation of the French verb balbutier is “to stammer” or “to stutter.” It is pronounced “bal-bu-te-eh” in its infinitive form.

The word balbutier comes from the Old French word “balbutier” which means “to stammer” or “to stutter.” It is derived from the Latin word “balbutire” which has the same meaning.

In everyday French, balbutier is most often used in the plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to express an action that was completed before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of how balbutier is used in the plus-que-parfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais balbutié quelques mots avant de m’écrouler de fatigue. (I had stammered a few words before collapsing from exhaustion.)

  2. Tu avais balbutié une excuse en espérant qu’elle te croirait. (You had stammered an excuse hoping she would believe you.)

  3. Il avait balbutié son discours devant le public anxieux. (He had stuttered his speech in front of the anxious audience.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais balbutié J’avais balbutié des excuses. I had stumbled upon excuses.
tu tu avais balbutié Tu avais balbutié une réponse. You had stuttered out a response.
il il avait balbutié Il avait balbutié ses mots. He had stuttered his words.
elle elle avait balbutié Elle avait balbutié devant l’auditoire. She had stumbled in front of the audience.
on on avait balbutié On avait balbutié pendant l’examen. One had stuttered during the exam.
nous nous avions balbutié Nous avions balbutié devant le professeur. We had stuttered in front of the teacher.
vous vous aviez balbutié Vous aviez balbutié avant de partir. You had stuttered before leaving.
ils ils avaient balbutié Ils avaient balbutié leurs réponses. They had stuttered their responses.
elles elles avaient balbutié Elles avaient balbutié leurs excuses. They had stumbled upon excuses.

Other Conjugations for Balbutier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb balbutier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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