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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bistourner

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The English translation of the French verb bistourner is “to turn around.” It is pronounced as “bee-stoor-nay.”

Bistourner is derived from the French words “bise” (wind) and “tourner” (to turn). In everyday French, it is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which corresponds to the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action.

Examples:

  1. J’étais déjà parti quand elle a bistourné la tête. (I had already left when she turned her head.)
  2. Nous avions bistourné le coin de la rue lorsque nous avons vu l’accident. (We had turned the corner when we saw the accident.)
  3. Il avait bistourné son opinion après avoir entendu les arguments de son ami. (He had changed his mind after hearing his friend’s arguments.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais bistourné J’avais bistourné la viande. I had diced the meat.
tu tu avais bistourné Tu avais bistourné les légumes. You had diced the vegetables.
il il avait bistourné Il avait bistourné le poisson. He had diced the fish.
elle elle avait bistourné Elle avait bistourné la salade. She had diced the salad.
on on avait bistourné On avait bistourné les fruits. One had diced the fruits.
nous nous avions bistourné Nous avions bistourné le poulet. We had diced the chicken.
vous vous aviez bistourné Vous aviez bistourné les oignons. You had diced the onions.
ils ils avaient bistourné Ils avaient bistourné les tomates. They had diced the tomatoes.
elles elles avaient bistourné Elles avaient bistourné les carottes. They had diced the carrots.

Other Conjugations for Bistourner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bistourner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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