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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bichoter

Get the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) tense conjugation of bichoter. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb bichoter is “to fuss over/to groom”. The infinitive form is pronounced “bee-sho-ter”.

The word bichoter comes from the French noun biche, meaning “doe” or “female deer”. It is derived from the Old French word bichet, which also referred to a female deer. Over time, the verb bichoter evolved to mean “to take care of something/someone with great care and attention”.

In everyday French, bichoter is often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses a past hypothetical action or condition. It is most commonly used in a negative form or in an interrogative form.

  1. “Il fallait que tu ne bichotes pas autant sur ta tenue.” (It was necessary for you to not fuss so much over your outfit.)

  2. “Je me demande si elle eût bichoté autant si elle avait su qu’il ne viendrait pas.” (I wonder if she would have fussed as much if she had known he wouldn’t come.)

  3. “Il avait l’impression que sa mère eût bichoté sur lui toute sa vie.” (He had the feeling that his mother had fussed over him his whole life.)

  4. “Elle aurait dû bichoter davantage pour que sa présentation soit parfaite.” (She should have fussed more to make her presentation perfect.)

  5. “Nous avions peur que tu eusses bichoté sur tous les détails et que tu n’aies pas fini à temps.” (We were afraid that you had fussed over all the details and that you wouldn’t finish on time.)

  6. “Il semblait qu’elle eût bichoté pendant des heures avant de se décider à sortir.” (It seemed like she had fussed for hours before deciding to go out.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Bichoter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bichoter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bichoter
    (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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Bichoter – 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 bichoter. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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