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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bichoter

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The English translation of the French verb bichoter is “to fuss over.” It is pronounced as “bee-sho-tay” in its infinitive form.

The word bichoter is derived from the noun biche, which means “doe” or “female deer” in French. It was originally used to describe the behavior of a female deer fussing over her young, which eventually evolved to mean fussing over someone or something in a doting or overprotective manner.

In everyday French, bichoter is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed in the past before another past action.

Here are three examples of how bichoter is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. J’avais bichoté mon fils avant qu’il ne parte pour l’école. (I had fussed over my son before he left for school.)
  2. Elle avait bichoté son mari toute la journée avant leur rendez-vous important. (She had fussed over her husband all day before their important meeting.)
  3. Nous avions bichoté notre appartement avant l’arrivée de nos invités. (We had fussed over our apartment before our guests arrived.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais bichoté J’avais bichoté ma tenue. I had fussed over my outfit.
tu tu avais bichoté Tu avais bichoté tes affaires. You had fussed over your things.
il il avait bichoté Il avait bichoté ses cheveux. He had fussed over his hair.
elle elle avait bichoté Elle avait bichoté sa robe. She had fussed over her dress.
on on avait bichoté On avait bichoté la décoration. One had fussed over the decoration.
nous nous avions bichoté Nous avions bichoté nos plats. We had fussed over our dishes.
vous vous aviez bichoté Vous aviez bichoté vos valises. You had fussed over your suitcases.
ils ils avaient bichoté Ils avaient bichoté leur jardin. They had fussed over their garden.
elles elles avaient bichoté Elles avaient bichoté leur maquillage. They had fussed over their makeup.

Other Conjugations for Bichoter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bichoter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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