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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb flibuster

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The English translation of the French verb flibuster is “to filibuster.” It is pronounced as “flee-boos-tay.”

The word flibuster comes from the Dutch word “vrijbuiter” which means “freebooter.” It was later adopted into English and French to refer to pirates or buccaneers. In modern usage, it refers to the act of obstructing or delaying legislative action, typically through long speeches.

In everyday French, the verb flibuster is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to describe an action that had already been completed before another past action.

Examples:

  1. J’avais flibusté toute la journée pour empêcher le vote du projet de loi. (I had filibustered all day to prevent the vote on the bill.)

  2. Tu avais flibusté pendant des heures avant que le président ne puisse mettre fin au débat. (You had filibustered for hours before the president could end the debate.)

  3. Les sénateurs avaient flibusté pendant plusieurs jours avant de céder et de voter en faveur de la loi. (The senators had filibustered for several days before giving in and voting in favor of the law.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais flibusté J’avais flibusté les politiciens corrompus. I had filibustered the corrupt politicians.
tu tu avais flibusté Tu avais flibusté la loi. You had filibustered the law.
il il avait flibusté Il avait flibusté le projet de loi. He had filibustered the bill.
elle elle avait flibusté Elle avait flibusté la réforme. She had filibustered the reform.
on on avait flibusté On avait flibusté la décision. One had filibustered the decision.
nous nous avions flibusté Nous avions flibusté le discours. We had filibustered the speech.
vous vous aviez flibusté Vous aviez flibusté le débat. You had filibustered the debate.
ils ils avaient flibusté Ils avaient flibusté la procédure. They had filibustered the procedure.
elles elles avaient flibusté Elles avaient flibusté la réunion. They had filibustered the meeting.

Other Conjugations for Flibuster.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb flibuster
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Flibuster – 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.

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