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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débourrer

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The English translation of the French verb débourrer is “to break in” or “to train.” It is pronounced as “day-boo-ray.”

Débourrer is derived from the French word “bourrer,” which means “to stuff” or “to fill.” In its original form, it meant “to empty” or “to dislodge.” Over time, it evolved to have the meaning of breaking in or training an animal, most commonly a horse.

In everyday French, débourrer is often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to talk about an action that had been completed in the past before another action took place. For example:

  1. J’avais débourré le cheval avant de le monter. (I had broken in the horse before riding it.)
  2. Elle avait débourré son chien avant de lui apprendre des tours. (She had trained her dog before teaching it tricks.)
  3. Nous avions débourré les poules avant de les mettre dans le poulailler. (We had tamed the chickens before putting them in the coop.)

The use of débourrer in the Plus-que-parfait tense emphasizes that the action of breaking in or training was completed before another action took place. It is often used in storytelling or recounting past events.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais débourré J’avais débourré le cheval. I had broken in the horse.
tu tu avais débourré Tu avais débourré la jument. You had broken in the mare.
il il avait débourré Il avait débourré le poulain. He had broken in the foal.
elle elle avait débourré Elle avait débourré le poney. She had broken in the pony.
on on avait débourré On avait débourré le taureau. One had broken in the bull.
nous nous avions débourré Nous avions débourré le veau. We had broken in the calf.
vous vous aviez débourré Vous aviez débourré le chevreuil. You had broken in the deer.
ils ils avaient débourré Ils avaient débourré le cerf. They had broken in the stag.
elles elles avaient débourré Elles avaient débourré l’agneau. They had broken in the lamb.

Other Conjugations for Débourrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débourrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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