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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chanceler

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The English translation of the French verb chanceler is “to sway/to waver”. The infinitive form is pronounced as “shahn-suh-leh”.

The language origin of chanceler can be traced back to the Latin word “cancellare”, which means “to cross out”. In French, it evolved to mean “to waver” or “to hesitate”. In everyday French, chanceler is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past tense used to express an action that occurred before another past action.

Here are three simple examples of chanceler in the Plus-que-parfait tense and their English translations:

  1. J’avais chancelé en voyant le serpent dans le jardin. (I had wavered when I saw the snake in the garden.)
  2. Nous avions chancelé avant de prendre la décision finale. (We had hesitated before making the final decision.)
  3. Elle avait chancelé un instant avant de répondre à la question. (She had swayed for a moment before answering the question.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais chancelé J’avais chancelé en marchant dans les rochers. I had staggered while walking on the rocks.
tu tu avais chancelé Tu avais chancelé en essayant de tenir debout. You had wavered while trying to stand up.
il il avait chancelé Il avait chancelé sous le poids du sac. He had stumbled under the weight of the bag.
elle elle avait chancelé Elle avait chancelé en traversant le pont. She had faltered while crossing the bridge.
on on avait chancelé On avait chancelé en dansant sur le sol mouillé. One had swayed while dancing on the wet floor.
nous nous avions chancelé Nous avions chancelé en courant sur le sable. We had stumbled while running on the sand.
vous vous aviez chancelé Vous aviez chancelé en portant les valises. You had wobbled while carrying the suitcases.
ils ils avaient chancelé Ils avaient chancelé en escaladant la montagne. They had faltered while climbing the mountain.
elles elles avaient chancelé Elles avaient chancelé en essayant de garder l’équilibre. They had swayed while trying to maintain their balance.

Other Conjugations for Chanceler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chanceler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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