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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb biffer

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The English translation of the French verb biffer is “to cross out” or “to strike out.” The infinitive form, biffer, is pronounced “bee-fay.”

Biffer comes from the Old French word “bifer,” meaning “to strike” or “to hit.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Plus-que-parfait (past perfect) tense, which is used to describe an action that was completed in the past before another action took place. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the imparfait tense followed by the past participle of biffer.

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

  1. J’avais biffé toutes les erreurs avant que le professeur ne regarde mon devoir. (I had crossed out all the mistakes before the teacher looked at my homework.)

  2. Avant de partir, elle avait biffé son nom sur la liste d’invités. (Before leaving, she had crossed out her name on the guest list.)

  3. Nous avions biffé les noms des personnes absentes de la liste des participants. (We had crossed out the names of the absent people from the list of participants.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais biffé J’avais biffé mon nom sur la liste. I had crossed off my name on the list.
tu tu avais biffé Tu avais biffé le mot incorrect. You had crossed off the incorrect word.
il il avait biffé Il avait biffé le paragraphe. He had crossed off the paragraph.
elle elle avait biffé Elle avait biffé le numéro de téléphone. She had crossed off the phone number.
on on avait biffé On avait biffé le nom de cette personne. One had crossed off the name of this person.
nous nous avions biffé Nous avions biffé nos noms. We had crossed off our names.
vous vous aviez biffé Vous aviez biffé la date. You had crossed off the date.
ils ils avaient biffé Ils avaient biffé le mot de passe. They had crossed off the password.
elles elles avaient biffé Elles avaient biffé le nom de l’auteur. They had crossed off the author’s name.

Other Conjugations for Biffer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb biffer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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