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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bourdonner

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The English translation of the French verb bourdonner is “to buzz” or “to hum.” It is pronounced as [buʁ.dɔ.ne].

The word bourdonner comes from the Old French word “burdon,” which refers to the low, droning sound of a musical instrument. In everyday French, bourdonner is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait (pluperfect) tense, which expresses an action that happened before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of bourdonner used in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais bourdonné toute la journée avant de me rendre compte que j’avais oublié mon portefeuille à la maison. (I had been buzzing all day before realizing that I had forgotten my wallet at home.)

  2. Les abeilles avaient bourdonné autour de moi pendant que je ramassais des fleurs dans le jardin. (The bees had been buzzing around me while I was picking flowers in the garden.)

  3. Ma tête bourdonnait à cause du bruit incessant de la circulation. (My head was buzzing because of the constant noise from the traffic.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais bourdonné J’avais bourdonné de colère. I had buzzed with anger.
tu tu avais bourdonné Tu avais bourdonné de bonheur. You had buzzed with happiness.
il il avait bourdonné Il avait bourdonné de fierté. He had buzzed with pride.
elle elle avait bourdonné Elle avait bourdonné d’excitation. She had buzzed with excitement.
on on avait bourdonné On avait bourdonné d’activité. One had buzzed with activity.
nous nous avions bourdonné Nous avions bourdonné de musique. We had buzzed with music.
vous vous aviez bourdonné Vous aviez bourdonné de conversation. You had buzzed with conversation.
ils ils avaient bourdonné Ils avaient bourdonné de questions. They had buzzed with questions.
elles elles avaient bourdonné Elles avaient bourdonné de rires. They had buzzed with laughter.

Other Conjugations for Bourdonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bourdonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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