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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb becter

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The English translation of the French verb becter is “to devour” or “to gobble up.” It is pronounced as “behk-tay” in its infinitive form.

The word becter comes from the Latin word “bectare,” meaning to peck or bite. In modern French, it is used in everyday language to mean eating quickly and greedily. In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, it is used to express actions or events that took place before another past event.

Examples:

  1. J’avais tellement faim que j’avais becté tout le gâteau avant que mes amis arrivent. (I was so hungry that I devoured the whole cake before my friends arrived.)
  2. Elle avait becté tous les bonbons avant que sa mère lui dise d’arrêter. (She had gobbled up all the candies before her mother told her to stop.)
  3. On avait becté toutes les provisions avant que la tempête n’arrive. (We had devoured all the supplies before the storm arrived.)

Overall, becter is a common verb used in everyday French to describe eating quickly and greedily. In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, it is used to express actions that occurred before a past event.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Becter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb becter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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