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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb balbutier

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The English translation of the French verb balbutier is “to stammer” or “to stutter.” It is pronounced as “bal-byuh-tee-ay” in its infinitive form.

The word balbutier comes from the Old French word “balbucier,” which can be traced back to the Latin word “balbutire,” meaning “to stammer.” It is a regular -er verb and is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense.

In this tense, the verb balbutier is used to express actions or states that took place before another action or state in the past. It is commonly used in formal or literary texts.

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

  1. Il était tellement ému qu’il balbutiait quand il a vu son idole. (He was so moved that he was stuttering when he saw his idol.)
  2. Elle avait tellement peur qu’elle balbutiait lorsqu’elle a dû parler devant la foule. (She was so scared that she was stammering when she had to speak in front of the crowd.)
  3. Ils avaient tellement bu qu’ils balbutiaient des mots incompréhensibles. (They had drunk so much that they were stammering incomprehensible words.)

In all of these examples, the subjunctive plus-que-parfait tense is used to indicate a past action or state that had already occurred before another action or state in the past. It is often used to convey a sense of hesitation, uncertainty, or emotion.

Table of the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of balbutier

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse balbutié J’aurais aimé que je eusse balbutié. I wish I had stuttered.
tu eusses balbutié J’aurais aimé que tu eusses balbutié. I wish you had stuttered.
il eût balbutié J’aurais aimé qu’il eût balbutié. I wish he had stuttered.
elle eût balbutié J’aurais aimé qu’elle eût balbutié. I wish she had stuttered.
on eût balbutié J’aurais aimé qu’on eût balbutié. I wish one had stuttered.
nous eussions balbutié J’aurais aimé que nous eussions balbutié. I wish we had stuttered.
vous eussiez balbutié J’aurais aimé que vous eussiez balbutié. I wish you had stuttered.
ils eussent balbutié J’aurais aimé qu’ils eussent balbutié. I wish they had stuttered.
elles eussent balbutié J’aurais aimé qu’elles eussent balbutié. I wish they had stuttered.

Other Conjugations for Balbutier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb balbutier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb balbutier
    (this article)

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

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Balbutier – About the French Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense

The French Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait, also known as the Pluperfect Subjunctive, is a verb tense used to express actions or states that occurred before another action in the past, and it’s used in situations where the indicative mood is in the past subjunctive or conditional mood.
NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation

To form the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait, you start with the imperfect subjunctive form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être,” followed by the past participle of the main verb. 
For “avoir” verbs: Take the imperfect subjunctive form of “avoir” (e.g., j’eusse, tu eusses, il/elle eût, nous eussions, vous eussiez, ils/elles eussent). Add the past participle of the main verb. 
For “être” verbs: Take the imperfect subjunctive form of “être” (e.g., je fusse, tu fusses, il/elle fût, nous fussions, vous fussiez, ils/elles fussent). Add the past participle of the main verb.

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

Hypothetical Situations

The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait is often used to express hypothetical or unreal actions that occurred before another past action.
For example: J’aurais aimé que tu aies fini ton travail avant que je sois arrivé. (I would have liked for you to have finished your work before I arrived.) 

Reported Speech

In reported speech, you may use the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait to convey what someone said or thought in the past. 
For example: Il m’a dit qu’il avait peur que je n’aie pas compris. (He told me that he was afraid that I hadn’t understood.) 

Doubt, Wishes, and Emotions

This tense can also be used to express doubt, wishes, and emotions about past actions. 
For example: Je doutais qu’il eût dit la vérité. (I doubted that he had told the truth.) 
J’aurais souhaité que tu fusses venu. (I would have wished for you to have come.)

Interactions with Other Tenses

Present Subjunctive

The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait can be used to describe past actions when the main verb is in the present subjunctive. 
For example: “Il faut que j’aie fini mon travail avant que tu partes.” (I must have finished my work before you leave.) 

Imperfect Subjunctive

It’s common to use the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait with the imperfect subjunctive in complex sentences. 
For example: “Il m’avait dit qu’il fût rentré avant la fin de la journée.” (He had told me that he had returned before the end of the day.) 

Conditional

When the main verb is in the conditional mood, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait can be used to express past unreal conditions. 
For example: “Si j’avais su, j’aurais voulu que tu aies réussi.” (If I had known, I would have wanted you to have succeeded.)

Summary

The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait is a complex tense used to convey nuanced meanings in French. While its usage may seem intricate, it becomes more intuitive with practice and exposure to the language. It’s important to understand the context in which it’s used, as it often conveys subtleties of time, conditionality, and emotion in French sentences.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb balbutier. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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