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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bouillotter

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The English translation of the French verb bouillotter is “to bubble” or “to boil.” It is pronounced as “boo-yo-tay.”

The origin of the word bouillotter comes from the French word “bouillotte,” which is a small heated water bottle used for warmth. The verb form, bouillotter, is often used in everyday French to describe the action of boiling or bubbling, particularly in the context of cooking.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, bouillotter is used to describe an action that had been continuously happening in the past before another past action took place. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais bouillotté la soupe lorsque mon ami est arrivé. (I had been boiling the soup when my friend arrived.)
  2. Elle avait bouillotté de l’eau pour le thé avant que la panne de courant ne se produise. (She had been boiling water for tea before the power outage happened.)
  3. Nous avions bouillotté des légumes avant de les faire sauter dans la poêle. (We had been boiling the vegetables before sautéing them in the pan.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais bouillotté J’avais bouillotté le repas. I had reheated the meal.
tu tu avais bouillotté Tu avais bouillotté la soupe. You had reheated the soup.
il il avait bouillotté Il avait bouillotté le café. He had reheated the coffee.
elle elle avait bouillotté Elle avait bouillotté le thé. She had reheated the tea.
on on avait bouillotté On avait bouillotté le lait. One had reheated the milk.
nous nous avions bouillotté Nous avions bouillotté le plat. We had reheated the dish.
vous vous aviez bouillotté Vous aviez bouillotté le ragoût. You had reheated the stew.
ils ils avaient bouillotté Ils avaient bouillotté le poisson. They had reheated the fish.
elles elles avaient bouillotté Elles avaient bouillotté le poulet. They had reheated the chicken.

Other Conjugations for Bouillotter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bouillotter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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