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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb boutonner

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The English translation of the French verb boutonner is “to button.” The infinitive form, boutonner, is pronounced “boo-toh-nay.”

The word boutonner comes from the French noun bouton, meaning “button.” It is derived from the Old French word boton, which comes from the Latin word bottonem, meaning “button or bud.” Boutonner is most often used in everyday French to describe the action of closing or fastening something with buttons.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, boutonner is used as a past tense to describe an action that was completed before another past action. Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Je m’étais boutonné la chemise avant de sortir. (I had buttoned my shirt before going out.)
  2. Elle s’était boutonnée sa robe seule. (She had buttoned her dress by herself.)
  3. Nous nous étions boutonnés les manteaux pour sortir. (We had buttoned our coats to go out.)

In all of these examples, boutonner is used to describe an action that was already completed in the past before another past action took place.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais boutonné J’avais boutonné ma chemise. I had buttoned up my shirt.
tu tu avais boutonné Tu avais boutonné ton manteau. You had buttoned up your coat.
il il avait boutonné Il avait boutonné sa chemise. He had buttoned up his shirt.
elle elle avait boutonné Elle avait boutonné sa robe. She had buttoned up her dress.
on on avait boutonné On avait boutonné sa veste. One had buttoned up their jacket.
nous nous avions boutonné Nous avions boutonné nos manteaux. We had buttoned up our coats.
vous vous aviez boutonné Vous aviez boutonné vos chemises. You had buttoned up your shirts.
ils ils avaient boutonné Ils avaient boutonné leurs vestes. They had buttoned up their jackets.
elles elles avaient boutonné Elles avaient boutonné leurs robes. They had buttoned up their dresses.

Other Conjugations for Boutonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb boutonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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