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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bavarder

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The English translation of bavarder is “to chat” or “to talk.” It is pronounced as “bah-vahr-day.”

The word bavarder comes from the Old French word “bavard,” meaning “talkative” or “chatty.” It is most often used in every day French to describe casual conversations or small talk.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, bavarder is used to talk about completed actions in the past that happened before another past action. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of bavarder.

Here are three simple examples of bavarder in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais bavardé avec mes amis avant de partir en vacances. (I had chatted with my friends before leaving for vacation.)

  2. Elle avait déjà bavardé avec son voisin quand je suis arrivé. (She had already talked with her neighbor when I arrived.)

  3. Nous avions bavardé pendant des heures avant de nous coucher. (We had chatted for hours before going to bed.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais bavardé J’avais bavardé avec mes amis. I had chatted with my friends.
tu tu avais bavardé Tu avais bavardé avec ta famille. You had chatted with your family.
il il avait bavardé Il avait bavardé avec ses collègues. He had chatted with his colleagues.
elle elle avait bavardé Elle avait bavardé avec ses voisins. She had chatted with her neighbors.
on on avait bavardé On avait bavardé pendant des heures. One had chatted for hours.
nous nous avions bavardé Nous avions bavardé lors du dîner. We had chatted during dinner.
vous vous aviez bavardé Vous aviez bavardé avec vos amis. You had chatted with your friends.
ils ils avaient bavardé Ils avaient bavardé au café. They had chatted at the cafe.
elles elles avaient bavardé Elles avaient bavardé à la bibliothèque. They had chatted at the library.

Other Conjugations for Bavarder.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bavarder
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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