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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb boycotter

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The English translation of the French verb boycotter is “to boycott.” The infinitive form, “boycotter,” is pronounced as “bwah-kot-ay.”

The word “boycotter” comes from the English name Charles Boycott, who was a land agent in Ireland during the 19th century. He became notorious for his harsh treatment of tenants, leading to a boycott of his services and ultimately the creation of the word “boycott” to describe the act of refusing to buy, use, or participate in something as a form of protest.

In everyday French language, boycotter is most often used in the plus-que-parfait tense to describe an action that had been boycotted in the past. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” conjugated in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of boycotter.

Example 1: J’avais boycotté le magasin hier. (I had boycotted the store yesterday.)
Example 2: Tu avais boycotté le concert de cette artiste. (You had boycotted that artist’s concert.)
Example 3: Ils avaient boycotté l’entreprise pour ses pratiques injustes. (They had boycotted the company for its unfair practices.)

In these examples, the verb “boycotter” is used to express an action that had already taken place in the past. The plus-que-parfait tense adds a sense of emphasis or importance to the action.

In conclusion, “boycotter” is a French verb that means “to boycott” and originated from the name of an English man. It is most often used in the plus-que-parfait tense to describe an action that had been boycotted in the past, and can be used in various contexts such as politics, social issues, or consumerism.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais boycotté J’avais boycotté la réunion. I had boycotted the meeting.
tu tu avais boycotté Tu avais boycotté le produit. You had boycotted the product.
il il avait boycotté Il avait boycotté l’entreprise. He had boycotted the company.
elle elle avait boycotté Elle avait boycotté le magasin. She had boycotted the store.
on on avait boycotté On avait boycotté le concert. One had boycotted the concert.
nous nous avions boycotté Nous avions boycotté le spectacle. We had boycotted the show.
vous vous aviez boycotté Vous aviez boycotté la manifestation. You had boycotted the protest.
ils ils avaient boycotté Ils avaient boycotté la marque. They had boycotted the brand.
elles elles avaient boycotté Elles avaient boycotté la campagne. They had boycotted the campaign.

Other Conjugations for Boycotter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb boycotter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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