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Verb conjugation

becqueter

to peck (at); to eat, nosh, chow down

Usage

The standard verb for a bird pecking at food with its beak (le moineau becquette les graines). Colloquially, it also means simply "to eat" in casual, slangy speech — closer to "to grub" or "to chow down" than a neutral verb.

Examples
  • Les pigeons becquettent les miettes sur le trottoir.The pigeons are pecking at the crumbs on the sidewalk.
  • On becquette quelque chose avant de partir ?Shall we grab a bite before we leave?
  • La poule a becqueté tout le grain en une minute.The hen pecked up all the grain in a minute.
Common mistake

The doubled -tt- trips learners up (il becquette, not *il becquete) — the spelling variant béqueter conjugates differently, shifting the accent instead (il béquète).

Often confused with béqueter.

Simple tenses

Present

jebecquette
tubecquettes
il/ellebecquette
nousbecquetons
vousbecquetez
ils/ellesbecquettent

Imperfect

jebecquetais
tubecquetais
il/ellebecquetait
nousbecquetions
vousbecquetiez
ils/ellesbecquetaient

Past historic (passé simple)

jebecquetai
tubecquetas
il/ellebecqueta
nousbecquetâmes
vousbecquetâtes
ils/ellesbecquetèrent

Future

jebecquetterai
tubecquetteras
il/ellebecquettera
nousbecquetterons
vousbecquetterez
ils/ellesbecquetteront

Conditional

jebecquetterais
tubecquetterais
il/ellebecquetterait
nousbecquetterions
vousbecquetteriez
ils/ellesbecquetteraient

Subjunctive

jebecquette
tubecquettes
il/ellebecquette
nousbecquetions
vousbecquetiez
ils/ellesbecquettent

Subjunctive (imperfect)

jebecquetasse
tubecquetasses
il/ellebecquetât
nousbecquetassions
vousbecquetassiez
ils/ellesbecquetassent

Imperative

tubecquette
nousbecquetons
vousbecquetez

Compound tenses

Passé composé

jeai becqueté
tuas becqueté
il/ellea becqueté
nousavons becqueté
vousavez becqueté
ils/ellesont becqueté

Plus-que-parfait

jeavais becqueté
tuavais becqueté
il/elleavait becqueté
nousavions becqueté
vousaviez becqueté
ils/ellesavaient becqueté

Passé antérieur

jeeus becqueté
tueus becqueté
il/elleeut becqueté
nouseûmes becqueté
vouseûtes becqueté
ils/elleseurent becqueté

Futur antérieur

jeaurai becqueté
tuauras becqueté
il/elleaura becqueté
nousaurons becqueté
vousaurez becqueté
ils/ellesauront becqueté

Conditionnel passé

jeaurais becqueté
tuaurais becqueté
il/elleaurait becqueté
nousaurions becqueté
vousauriez becqueté
ils/ellesauraient becqueté

Subjonctif passé

jeaie becqueté
tuaies becqueté
il/elleait becqueté
nousayons becqueté
vousayez becqueté
ils/ellesaient becqueté

Subjonctif plus-que-parfait

jeeusse becqueté
tueusses becqueté
il/elleeût becqueté
nouseussions becqueté
vouseussiez becqueté
ils/elleseussent becqueté

Impératif passé

tuaie becqueté
nousayons becqueté
vousayez becqueté

Other

Present participle

becquetant

Past participle

becqueté

Infinitive

becqueter

Want to practice? Try a conjugation exercise.

Frequently asked questions

What does "becqueter" mean?

"becqueter" means "to peck (at); to eat, nosh, chow down".

How do you conjugate "becqueter" in the present tense?

The present of "becqueter" is: je becquette, tu becquettes, il/elle becquette, nous becquetons, vous becquetez, ils/elles becquettent.

What is the Passé composé of "becqueter"?

The passé composé of "becqueter" is: je ai becqueté, tu as becqueté, il/elle a becqueté, nous avons becqueté, vous avez becqueté, ils/elles ont becqueté.

What is the Imperative of "becqueter"?

The imperative of "becqueter" is: tu becquette, nous becquetons, vous becquetez.