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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb barbifier

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The English translation of the French verb barbifier is “to make something sharp or pointed.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “bar-bee-fee-ay.”

The word “barbifier” comes from the French word “barbe,” meaning “beard,” and the suffix “-ifier,” which is used to create verbs meaning “to make or become.” In everyday French, “barbifier” is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English.

Examples:

  1. J’avais barbifié les pointes de mes crayons pour dessiner avec plus de précision. (I had sharpened the tips of my pencils to draw more accurately.)

  2. Tu avais barbifié les couteaux avant la fête pour couper facilement les aliments. (You had sharpened the knives before the party to easily cut the food.)

  3. Il avait barbifié les dents de la scie pour pouvoir couper le bois plus rapidement. (He had sharpened the teeth of the saw to cut the wood faster.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais barbifié J’avais barbifié ma barbe. I had barbered my beard.
tu tu avais barbifié Tu avais barbifié ta moustache. You had barbered your mustache.
il il avait barbifié Il avait barbifié son visage. He had barbered his face.
elle elle avait barbifié Elle avait barbifié ses sourcils. She had barbered her eyebrows.
on on avait barbifié On avait barbifié ses cheveux. One had barbered their hair.
nous nous avions barbifié Nous avions barbifié nos barbes. We had barbered our beards.
vous vous aviez barbifié Vous aviez barbifié vos moustaches. You had barbered your mustaches.
ils ils avaient barbifié Ils avaient barbifié leurs visages. They had barbered their faces.
elles elles avaient barbifié Elles avaient barbifié leurs sourcils. They had barbered their eyebrows.

Other Conjugations for Barbifier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb barbifier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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