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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb basculer

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The English translation of the French verb basculer is “to tip” or “to switch.” It is pronounced as “bahs-kew-leh.”

Basculer comes from the Latin word “bascula,” meaning “balance” or “scale.” It entered the French language in the 16th century as a verb meaning “to balance on a seesaw” before taking on the meaning of “to tip” or “to switch” in the 19th century.

In everyday French, basculer is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which corresponds to the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to talk about an action that had already been completed before another past action.

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

  1. J’avais basculé sur la chaise lorsque le chat a sauté sur mes genoux. (I had tipped over on the chair when the cat jumped on my lap.)
  2. Nous avions basculé sur une autre chaîne de télévision quand le match a commencé. (We had switched to another TV channel when the game started.)
  3. Ils avaient basculé la statue pour la placer sur le socle. (They had tipped the statue to place it on the pedestal.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais basculé J’avais basculé la chaise. I had tipped over the chair.
tu tu avais basculé Tu avais basculé le panier. You had tipped over the basket.
il il avait basculé Il avait basculé la table. He had tipped over the table.
elle elle avait basculé Elle avait basculé le vélo. She had tipped over the bike.
on on avait basculé On avait basculé la poubelle. One had tipped over the trash can.
nous nous avions basculé Nous avions basculé le sac. We had tipped over the bag.
vous vous aviez basculé Vous aviez basculé le canapé. You had tipped over the sofa.
ils ils avaient basculé Ils avaient basculé le carton. They had tipped over the cardboard box.
elles elles avaient basculé Elles avaient basculé la caisse. They had tipped over the crate.

Other Conjugations for Basculer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb basculer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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