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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bidonner

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The English translation of the French verb bidonner is “to mock” or “to make fun of.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “bee-doh-nay.”

The word bidonner comes from the French word “bidon,” which means “can” or “container.” It is believed to have originated in the early 20th century, possibly from the term “faire le bidon,” which means “to play the fool.”

In everyday French, bidonner is used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express actions or events that are imagined, hypothetical, or contrary to reality in the past. It is often used in conjunction with expressions such as “si seulement” (if only), “j’aurais aimé que” (I wish), or “je regrette que” (I regret).

Here are three examples of bidonner used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. Si seulement j’avais su, je ne l’aurais pas bidonné devant tout le monde. (If only I had known, I wouldn’t have mocked him in front of everyone.)

  2. J’aurais aimé que tu ne l’aies pas bidonné, c’était vraiment méchant. (I wish you hadn’t made fun of him, it was really mean.)

  3. Je regrette que nous ayons bidonné cette personne, nous aurions dû être plus respectueux. (I regret that we mocked that person, we should have been more respectful.)

English translations:

  1. If only I had known, I wouldn’t have made fun of him in front of everyone.

  2. I wish you hadn’t mocked him, it was really mean.

  3. I regret that we made fun of that person, we should have been more respectful.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Bidonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bidonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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