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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bégayer

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The English translation of the French verb bégayer is “to stutter”. It is pronounced as “bay-gah-yay”.

The origin of the word bégayer can be traced back to the Latin word “balbus” meaning “stammering”. It first appeared in the French language in the 13th century. It is most often used in everyday French to describe the act of speaking with difficulty or hesitation, often repeating the same sounds or syllables.

In the plus-que-parfait tense, bégayer is conjugated as “avais bégayé” for the first person singular, “avais bégayé” for the second person singular, “avait bégayé” for the third person singular, “avions bégayé” for the first person plural, “aviez bégayé” for the second person plural, and “avaient bégayé” for the third person plural.

Here are three simple examples of bégayer in the plus-que-parfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. J’avais bégayé lorsque je lui ai parlé. (I had stuttered when I spoke to him/her.)
  2. Tu avais bégayé lors de ta présentation. (You had stuttered during your presentation.)
  3. Ils avaient bégayé tout au long de la réunion. (They had stuttered throughout the meeting.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais bégayé J’avais bégayé pendant mon discours. I had stuttered during my speech.
tu tu avais bégayé Tu avais bégayé en répétant le mot. You had stuttered while repeating the word.
il il avait bégayé Il avait bégayé lorsqu’il était nerveux. He had stuttered when he was nervous.
elle elle avait bégayé Elle avait bégayé à cause de sa timidité. She had stuttered because of her shyness.
on on avait bégayé On avait bégayé à cause de l’émotion. One had stuttered because of the emotion.
nous nous avions bégayé Nous avions bégayé ensemble. We had stuttered together.
vous vous aviez bégayé Vous aviez bégayé devant la foule. You had stuttered in front of the crowd.
ils ils avaient bégayé Ils avaient bégayé en parlant. They had stuttered while talking.
elles elles avaient bégayé Elles avaient bégayé en racontant leur histoire. They had stuttered while telling their story.

Other Conjugations for Bégayer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bégayer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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