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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bondonner

Get the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) tense conjugation of bondonner. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb bondonner is “to wander aimlessly” or “to stroll leisurely.” It is pronounced “bawn-dawn-ay.”

Bondonner comes from the French word “bonde,” meaning “to ramble” or “to roam.” It is most often used in every day French in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past.

Some examples of bondonner in the Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. J’avais bondonné dans les rues de Paris avant de rentrer chez moi. (I had wandered through the streets of Paris before going home.)

  2. Elle avait bondonné sur la plage toute la journée avant de réaliser qu’elle avait oublié son maillot de bain. (She had strolled on the beach all day before realizing she had forgotten her swimsuit.)

  3. Nous avions bondonné dans les jardins du château avant de nous asseoir pour un pique-nique. (We had leisurely wandered through the gardens of the castle before sitting down for a picnic.)

Overall, bondonner is a poetic and leisurely word used to describe aimless wanderings or strolls in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais bondonné J’avais bondonné mes clés. I had misplaced my keys.
tu tu avais bondonné Tu avais bondonné ton sac. You had lost your bag.
il il avait bondonné Il avait bondonné son téléphone. He had lost his phone.
elle elle avait bondonné Elle avait bondonné son portefeuille. She had lost her wallet.
on on avait bondonné On avait bondonné nos affaires. One had lost our belongings.
nous nous avions bondonné Nous avions bondonné nos clés. We had misplaced our keys.
vous vous aviez bondonné Vous aviez bondonné votre ticket. You had lost your ticket.
ils ils avaient bondonné Ils avaient bondonné leur voiture. They had lost their car.
elles elles avaient bondonné Elles avaient bondonné leur chapeau. They had lost their hat.

Other Conjugations for Bondonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bondonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the bondonner Plus-que-parfait tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply