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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb barboter

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The English translation of the French verb barboter is “to paddle” or “to splash.” The infinitive form, barboter, is pronounced “bar-boh-tay.”

The word barboter comes from the Old French word barbouiller, meaning “to dabble.” It is most often used in everyday French to describe the action of playing in water, often by children. In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, it is used to express actions that would have been completed in the past if certain conditions had been met.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with the respective English translations:

  1. Si j’avais été à la plage, j’aurais barboté dans l’eau toute la journée. (If I had been at the beach, I would have paddled in the water all day.)

  2. Il avait promis de ne pas barboter dans la piscine, mais il l’a quand même fait. (He had promised not to splash in the pool, but he still did it.)

  3. Si tu avais fermé le robinet, l’eau ne se serait pas arrêtée de barboter. (If you had closed the tap, the water would not have stopped splashing.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse barboté Si j’avais bu moins de champagne, je eusse barboté toute la nuit. If I had drank less champagne, I would have splashed around all night.
tu eusses barboté Si tu avais bu moins de champagne, tu eusses barboté toute la nuit. If you had drank less champagne, you would have splashed around all night.
il eût barboté Si il avait bu moins de champagne, il eût barboté toute la nuit. If he had drank less champagne, he would have splashed around all night.
elle eût barboté Si elle avait bu moins de champagne, elle eût barboté toute la nuit. If she had drank less champagne, she would have splashed around all night.
on eût barboté Si on avait bu moins de champagne, on eût barboté toute la nuit. If one had drank less champagne, one would have splashed around all night.
nous eussions barboté Si nous avions bu moins de champagne, nous eussions barboté toute la nuit. If we had drank less champagne, we would have splashed around all night.
vous eussiez barboté Si vous aviez bu moins de champagne, vous eussiez barboté toute la nuit. If you had drank less champagne, you would have splashed around all night.
ils eussent barboté Si ils avaient bu moins de champagne, ils eussent barboté toute la nuit. If they had drank less champagne, they would have splashed around all night.
elles eussent barboté Si elles avaient bu moins de champagne, elles eussent barboté toute la nuit. If they had drank less champagne, they would have splashed around all night.

Other Conjugations for Barboter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb barboter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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