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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chanter

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The English translation of the French verb chanter is “to sing.” The infinitive form is pronounced “shan-tay.”

The origin of the word chanter can be traced back to the Latin word “cantare,” meaning “to sing.” It entered the French language in the 12th century. In everyday French, chanter is commonly used to refer to the act of singing or performing music.

In the plus-que-parfait tense, chanter is used to express an action that had already been completed in the past. It is formed by using the imperfect tense of the auxiliary verb avoir or être, followed by the past participle chanté.

Here are three simple examples of chanter in the plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais chanté toute la journée. (I had sung all day.)
  2. Tu étais déjà parti quand j’avais chanté ma dernière chanson. (You had already left when I had sung my last song.)
  3. Elle avait chanté dans un groupe avant de devenir soliste. (She had sung in a band before becoming a soloist.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais chanté J’avais chanté une chanson. I had sung a song.
tu tu avais chanté Tu avais chanté faux. You had sung off key.
il il avait chanté Il avait chanté toute la nuit. He had sung all night.
elle elle avait chanté Elle avait chanté avec passion. She had sung with passion.
on on avait chanté On avait chanté en choeur. One had sung in chorus.
nous nous avions chanté Nous avions chanté ensemble. We had sung together.
vous vous aviez chanté Vous aviez chanté une belle mélodie. You had sung a beautiful melody.
ils ils avaient chanté Ils avaient chanté en harmonie. They had sung in harmony.
elles elles avaient chanté Elles avaient chanté en tandem. They had sung in tandem.

Other Conjugations for Chanter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chanter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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