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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb boulonner

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The English translation of the French verb boulonner is “to bolt/to screw”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “boo-loh-neh”.

Boulonner comes from the French noun “boulon” meaning “bolt”, which derives from the Latin word “bullire” meaning “to bubble or boil”. It is most often used in everyday French to describe the action of fastening or securing something with a bolt or screw.

Here are three examples of boulonner in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais boulonné le meuble avant de le fixer au mur. (I had bolted the furniture before attaching it to the wall.)
  2. Tu avais boulonné les différentes parties de la machine avant de l’essayer. (You had screwed the different parts of the machine before trying it out.)
  3. Les ouvriers avaient boulonné les panneaux de bois pour construire la cabane. (The workers had bolted the wooden panels to build the cabin.)

In these examples, boulonner is used in its past tense form “avais boulonné” to indicate an action that had already taken place before another action in the past. In English, this tense is equivalent to “had + past participle” (e.g. had bolted).

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais boulonné J’avais boulonné la porte. I had bolted the door.
tu tu avais boulonné Tu avais boulonné les planches. You had bolted the planks.
il il avait boulonné Il avait boulonné le meuble. He had bolted the furniture.
elle elle avait boulonné Elle avait boulonné la charpente. She had bolted the frame.
on on avait boulonné On avait boulonné la rampe. One had bolted the railing.
nous nous avions boulonné Nous avions boulonné les étagères. We had bolted the shelves.
vous vous aviez boulonné Vous aviez boulonné le portail. You had bolted the gate.
ils ils avaient boulonné Ils avaient boulonné les fenêtres. They had bolted the windows.
elles elles avaient boulonné Elles avaient boulonné les poutres. They had bolted the beams.

Other Conjugations for Boulonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb boulonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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