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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bistrer

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The English translation of the French verb bistrer is “to blacken” or “to char.” The infinitive form of the verb is pronounced “bee-stray.”

Bistrer originated from the Old French word “bistre,” which referred to a type of soot or black pigment used in painting and writing. Over time, it evolved to mean the act of blackening or charring something.

In everyday French, bistrer is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express a past action that is hypothetical or uncertain. This tense is formed by combining the subjunctive form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” with the past participle of bistrer.

Here are three examples of bistrer used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Il fallait que j’eusse bistré la viande pour qu’elle soit bien cuite.
    ( I had to have blackened the meat for it to be well-cooked.)

  2. Si tu avais bistré les légumes, ils n’auraient pas brûlé.
    (If you had charred the vegetables, they wouldn’t have burnt.)

  3. Il était possible que nous ayons bistré le bois avant de le peindre.
    (It was possible that we had blackened the wood before painting it.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse bisté Il aurait fallu que je eusse bisté. I wish I had bistered.
tu eusses bisté Il aurait fallu que tu eusses bisté. I wish you had bistered.
il eût bisté Il aurait fallu qu’il eût bisté. I wish he had bistered.
elle eût bisté Il aurait fallu qu’elle eût bisté. I wish she had bistered.
on eût bisté Il aurait fallu qu’on eût bisté. I wish one had bistered.
nous eussions bisté Il aurait fallu que nous eussions bisté. I wish we had bistered.
vous eussiez bisté Il aurait fallu que vous eussiez bisté. I wish you had bistered.
ils eussent bisté Il aurait fallu qu’ils eussent bisté. I wish they had bistered.
elles eussent bisté Il aurait fallu qu’elles eussent bisté. I wish they had bistered.

Other Conjugations for Bistrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bistrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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