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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chaîner

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The English translation of the French verb chaîner is “to chain” or “to link.” It is pronounced as “shay-nay.”

The origin of the word chaîner comes from the Old French word “chainier” which means “to chain.” In everyday French, it is most often used as a transitive verb, meaning it requires a direct object. It is used to express the action of connecting or linking two or more things together physically or figuratively.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, which corresponds to the past perfect tense in English, chaîner is used to describe an action that had already been completed in the past before another past action.

1) J’avais chaîné les vélos ensemble avant de partir en vacances. (I had chained the bikes together before going on vacation.)
2) Tu avais chaîné les mots de façon à créer un poème magnifique. (You had linked the words together to create a beautiful poem.)
3) Ils avaient chaîné les événements pour montrer la relation entre eux. (They had linked the events together to show their connection.)

Overall, chaîner is a useful verb for describing the act of linking or connecting things together in a variety of contexts.

Table of the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of chaîner

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais chaîné J’avais chaîné mon vélo. I had chained my bike.
tu tu avais chaîné Tu avais chaîné ta moto. You had chained your motorcycle.
il il avait chaîné Il avait chaîné la porte. He had chained the door.
elle elle avait chaîné Elle avait chaîné son chien. She had chained her dog.
on on avait chaîné On avait chaîné le portail. One had chained the gate.
nous nous avions chaîné Nous avions chaîné les vélos. We had chained the bikes.
vous vous aviez chaîné Vous aviez chaîné les chaises. You had chained the chairs.
ils ils avaient chaîné Ils avaient chaîné les prisonniers. They had chained the prisoners.
elles elles avaient chaîné Elles avaient chaîné les véhicules. They had chained the vehicles.

Other Conjugations for Chaîner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chaîner
   

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

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

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

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

    Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chaîner     (this article)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chaîner

    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
   

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Chaîner – About the French Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense

The French “plus-que-parfait” tense is a past tense used to express actions or events that occurred before another past action or event. It is often translated to English as the “pluperfect” tense. The name “plus-que-parfait” literally means “more than perfect,” indicating that it is a tense used to describe actions that were completed before a specific point in the past.
NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Tense Formation

To form the plus-que-parfait tense, you typically use the auxiliary verb “avoir” (to have) or “être” (to be) in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb. Here are the conjugations for both auxiliary verbs:
1. With “avoir” as the auxiliary verb:
   – J’avais mangé (I had eaten)
   – Tu avais parlé (You had spoken)
   – Il/elle/on avait fini (He/She/One had finished)
   – Nous avions lu (We had read)
   – Vous aviez choisi (You had chosen)
   – Ils/elles avaient joué (They had played)
2. With “être” as the auxiliary verb (usually for intransitive verbs or verbs indicating a state):
   – J’étais parti(e) (I had left)
   – Tu étais arrivé(e) (You had arrived)
   – Il/elle/on était tombé(e) (He/She/One had fallen)
   – Nous étions resté(e)s (We had stayed)
   – Vous étiez né(e)(s) (You had been born)
   – Ils/elles étaient monté(e)s (They had gone up)

Common everyday usage patterns

Sequencing of past events

The plus-que-parfait is used to express a past action that happened before another past action. For example, “J’avais mangé avant qu’il ne soit arrivé” (I had eaten before he arrived).

Background information

It is also used to provide background information or set the stage for a main past event. For instance, “Quand je suis arrivé, ils avaient déjà fini de manger” (When I arrived, they had already finished eating).

Hypothetical or reported speech

In indirect speech, the plus-que-parfait is used to report what someone had said or thought in the past. For example, “Il avait dit qu’il viendrait demain” (He had said that he would come tomorrow).

Interactions with other tenses

– The plus-que-parfait is often used in conjunction with the passé composé (simple past) to establish the sequence of past events. The passé composé describes the more recent action, while the plus-que-parfait describes the action that occurred earlier.
– It can also be used with the conditional mood to express a hypothetical past event, like “Si j’avais su, j’aurais agi différemment” (If I had known, I would have acted differently).
– When used in reported speech, it can be combined with the conditional mood or the imperfect subjunctive to reflect the original mood and tense of the reported statement.

Summary

The French plus-que-parfait tense is an essential part of the language for expressing past actions that occurred before other past actions, providing background information, and reporting past statements or thoughts. It is an integral component of constructing complex and accurate narratives in French.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb chaîner. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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