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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débuter

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The English translation of the French verb débuter is “to debut” or “to start.” It is pronounced as [de-by-tey].

Débuter comes from the Old French word “debut,” meaning “beginning” or “start.” It is most commonly used in everyday French to describe the action of starting or beginning something, whether it be a career, a project, or a new activity.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, débuter is used to express an action that had already happened before another past action. It is formed by conjugating the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of débuter.

Here are three simple examples of débuter in the Plus-que-parfait tense with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais débuté ma carrière d’acteur avant de partir à l’étranger.
    I had debuted my acting career before leaving abroad.

  2. Elle était déjà débutée dans ses études de médecine quand elle a rencontré son mari.
    She had already started her medical studies when she met her husband.

  3. Nous avions débuté la soirée en dansant avant que la musique s’arrête.
    We had started the evening by dancing before the music stopped.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais débuté J’avais débuté mon travail. I had started my work.
tu tu avais débuté Tu avais débuté ton voyage. You had started your journey.
il il avait débuté Il avait débuté sa carrière. He had started his career.
elle elle avait débuté Elle avait débuté sa formation. She had started her training.
on on avait débuté On avait débuté la journée. One had started the day.
nous nous avions débuté Nous avions débuté notre étude. We had started our study.
vous vous aviez débuté Vous aviez débuté votre projet. You had started your project.
ils ils avaient débuté Ils avaient débuté leur entreprise. They had started their business.
elles elles avaient débuté Elles avaient débuté leur réunion. They had started their meeting.

Other Conjugations for Débuter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débuter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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