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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bâter

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The English translation of the French verb bâter is “to beat” or “to strike.” The infinitive form, bâter, is pronounced as “baa-tay.”

The language origin of bâter can be traced back to the Latin word battere, which means “to beat.” In everyday French, bâter is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed in the past before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of bâter used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais bâti le château de sable avant que la vague ne l’emporte. (I had built the sandcastle before the wave washed it away.)
  2. Tu avais bâti ta maison avant que la tempête ne la détruise. (You had built your house before the storm destroyed it.)
  3. Ils avaient bâti leur entreprise avant que la crise économique ne survienne. (They had built their company before the economic crisis occurred.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais bâté J’avais bâté le cheval. I had saddled the horse.
tu tu avais bâté Tu avais bâté ton chien. You had harnessed your dog.
il il avait bâté Il avait bâté l’âne. He had saddled the donkey.
elle elle avait bâté Elle avait bâté la mule. She had saddled the mule.
on on avait bâté On avait bâté les chevaux. One had saddled the horses.
nous nous avions bâté Nous avions bâté les animaux. We had saddled the animals.
vous vous aviez bâté Vous aviez bâté vos chevaux. You had saddled your horses.
ils ils avaient bâté Ils avaient bâté les bœufs. They had harnessed the oxen.
elles elles avaient bâté Elles avaient bâté les juments. They had saddled the mares.

Other Conjugations for Bâter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bâter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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