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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bluffer

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The English translation of the French verb bluffer is “to bluff.” It is pronounced “bleu-FAY.”

The word bluffer comes from the French word “bluff,” meaning a false display of confidence or strength. In everyday French, it is often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense is used to talk about an action that happened before another past action.

Examples:

  1. J’avais bluffé sur mes compétences en cuisine avant que mes invités goûtent mon plat. (I had bluffed about my cooking skills before my guests tasted my dish.)
  2. Tu avais bluffé sur tes notes avant que ta mère ne regarde ton bulletin. (You had bluffed about your grades before your mother looked at your report card.)
  3. Ils avaient bluffé sur leur richesse avant que leur entreprise ne fasse faillite. (They had bluffed about their wealth before their company went bankrupt.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais bluffé J’avais bluffé mes adversaires. I had bluffed my opponents.
tu tu avais bluffé Tu avais bluffé le public avec tes tours. You had bluffed the audience with your tricks.
il il avait bluffé Il avait bluffé tout le monde. He had bluffed everyone.
elle elle avait bluffé Elle avait bluffé son partenaire. She had bluffed her partner.
on on avait bluffé On avait bluffé les juges. One had bluffed the judges.
nous nous avions bluffé Nous avions bluffé l’adversaire. We had bluffed the opponent.
vous vous aviez bluffé Vous aviez bluffé vos collègues. You had bluffed your colleagues.
ils ils avaient bluffé Ils avaient bluffé leurs concurrents. They had bluffed their competitors.
elles elles avaient bluffé Elles avaient bluffé les spectateurs. They had bluffed the spectators.

Other Conjugations for Bluffer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bluffer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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