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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb boursouffler

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The English translation of the French verb boursouffler is “to puff up” or “to swell up.” It is pronounced “boor-soo-flay” in the infinitive form.

Boursouffler comes from the Old French word “boursouflé,” which means “swollen” or “puffed up.” It is a combination of the words “bourse” meaning “bag” or “purse,” and “souffler” meaning “to blow.” In everyday French, boursouffler is often used in the Plus-que-parfait (pluperfect) tense to talk about completed actions in the past that happened before another past event.

Here are 3 simple examples of boursouffler in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais boursoufflé mon visage avant d’aller à la fête. (I had puffed up my face before going to the party.)

  2. Les ballons s’étaient boursouflés à cause de la chaleur. (The balloons had puffed up because of the heat.)

  3. Tu avais boursoufflé le ballon avant qu’il n’éclate. (You had puffed up the balloon before it popped.)

In these examples, the actions of puffing up the face, the balloons, and the balloon happened before another past event (going to the party, the heat causing the balloons to puff up, and the balloon popping).

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais boursoufflé J’avais boursoufflé mon visage. I had puffed up my face.
tu tu avais boursoufflé Tu avais boursoufflé tes joues. You had puffed up your cheeks.
il il avait boursoufflé Il avait boursoufflé son ventre. He had puffed up his stomach.
elle elle avait boursoufflé Elle avait boursoufflé ses lèvres. She had puffed up her lips.
on on avait boursoufflé On avait boursoufflé son nez. One had puffed up their nose.
nous nous avions boursoufflé Nous avions boursoufflé nos joues. We had puffed up our cheeks.
vous vous aviez boursoufflé Vous aviez boursoufflé vos visages. You had puffed up your faces.
ils ils avaient boursoufflé Ils avaient boursoufflé leurs ventres. They had puffed up their stomachs.
elles elles avaient boursoufflé Elles avaient boursoufflé leurs lèvres. They had puffed up their lips.

Other Conjugations for Boursouffler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb boursouffler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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