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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bidouiller

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The English translation of the French verb bidouiller is “to tinker” or “to fiddle with.” The infinitive form is pronounced “bee-doo-yay.”

Bidouiller comes from the word “bidouille,” which originally referred to a small object or tool used to tinker with something. The verb bidouiller is most often used in everyday French to describe the action of tinkering with something, usually in a playful or experimental manner.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, bidouiller is used to describe an action that had been tinkered with or fiddled with in the past.

Examples:

  1. J’avais bidouillé l’ordinateur pour essayer de le réparer. (I had tinkered with the computer to try to fix it.)
  2. Tu avais bidouillé la recette de gâteau pour la rendre plus saine. (You had tinkered with the cake recipe to make it healthier.)
  3. Il avait bidouillé le moteur de sa voiture, mais ça n’a pas fonctionné. (He had tinkered with his car’s engine, but it didn’t work.)

In all of these examples, the action of tinkering or fiddling with something had already been completed before a specific point in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais bidouillé J’avais bidouillé l’ordinateur. I had fiddled with the computer.
tu tu avais bidouillé Tu avais bidouillé le moteur. You had tinkered with the engine.
il il avait bidouillé Il avait bidouillé l’appareil photo. He had messed with the camera.
elle elle avait bidouillé Elle avait bidouillé la télécommande. She had played around with the remote control.
on on avait bidouillé On avait bidouillé le réveil. One had messed with the alarm clock.
nous nous avions bidouillé Nous avions bidouillé le système. We had fiddled with the system.
vous vous aviez bidouillé Vous aviez bidouillé le thermostat. You had adjusted the thermostat.
ils ils avaient bidouillé Ils avaient bidouillé le câble. They had fiddled with the cable.
elles elles avaient bidouillé Elles avaient bidouillé la machine à café. They had played around with the coffee machine.

Other Conjugations for Bidouiller.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bidouiller
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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