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

Introduction to the verb bouffonner

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The English translation of the French verb bouffonner is “to clown around” or “to act like a clown.” The infinitive form of bouffonner is pronounced “boo-faw-nay.”

Bouffonner comes from the French word bouffon, meaning “buffoon” or “jester.” It originated in the Italian Commedia dell’Arte and was used to describe the physical comedy and antics of the jesters.

In everyday French, bouffonner is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which corresponds to the past perfect tense in English. It is used to describe an action that had been completed before another past action.

Example 1: J’avais bouffonné avant qu’elle n’arrive. (I had been clowning around before she arrived.)
Example 2: Ils avaient bouffonné pendant des heures avant de se mettre au travail. (They had been clowning around for hours before getting to work.)
Example 3: Tu avais bouffonné toute la soirée et ça m’avait énervé. (You had been clowning around all evening and it had annoyed me.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais bouffonné J’avais bouffonné sur scène. I had joked around on stage.
tu tu avais bouffonné Tu avais bouffonné avec tes amis. You had joked around with your friends.
il il avait bouffonné Il avait bouffonné pendant la réunion. He had joked around during the meeting.
elle elle avait bouffonné Elle avait bouffonné en classe. She had joked around in class.
on on avait bouffonné On avait bouffonné toute la soirée. One had joked around all evening.
nous nous avions bouffonné Nous avions bouffonné au repas. We had joked around during the meal.
vous vous aviez bouffonné Vous aviez bouffonné pendant le spectacle. You had joked around during the show.
ils ils avaient bouffonné Ils avaient bouffonné après le travail. They had joked around after work.
elles elles avaient bouffonné Elles avaient bouffonné lors du pique-nique. They had joked around during the picnic.

Other Conjugations for Bouffonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bouffonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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