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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débarder

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The English translation of the French verb débarder is “to remove logs/timber”. It is pronounced as “day-bar-day”.

Débarder comes from the French word “barder”, which means to cover or encase. It is believed to have originated from the Old French word “barder” which means to put armor on a horse. Over time, the meaning of the word evolved to refer to the process of removing logs or timber from a forest.

In everyday French, débarder is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to refer to an action that was completed before another action in the past. It is often used to describe an event that took place before a specific moment in the past.

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

  1. J’avais débardé tout le bois avant que la pluie ne commence à tomber. (I had removed all the logs before the rain started.)

  2. Ils avaient débardé le bois depuis des heures quand ils ont réalisé qu’ils avaient oublié leur déjeuner. (They had been removing logs for hours when they realized they had forgotten their lunch.)

  3. Elle avait débardé toutes les bûches avant que le soleil ne se couche. (She had removed all the logs before the sun went down.)

English translations:

  1. I had removed all the logs before the rain started.
  2. They had been removing logs for hours when they realized they had forgotten their lunch.
  3. She had removed all the logs before the sun went down.

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

Response:

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais débardé J’avais débardé le bois. I had cleared the wood.
tu tu avais débardé Tu avais débardé les arbres. You had cleared the trees.
il il avait débardé Il avait débardé les bûches. He had cleared the logs.
elle elle avait débardé Elle avait débardé les branches. She had cleared the branches.
on on avait débardé On avait débardé les troncs. One had cleared the trunks.
nous nous avions débardé Nous avions débardé la forêt. We had cleared the forest.
vous vous aviez débardé Vous aviez débardé le terrain. You had cleared the land.
ils ils avaient débardé Ils avaient débardé les souches. They had cleared the stumps.
elles elles avaient débardé Elles avaient débardé les branches. They had cleared the branches.

Other Conjugations for Débarder.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débarder
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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