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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chantonner

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The English translation of the French verb chantonner is “to hum.” It is pronounced as “shahn-ton-nay.”

The language origin of chantonner can be traced back to the Old French word “chanter,” meaning “to sing.” The suffix “-onner” is a common verb ending in French, used to create new verbs from existing ones. Chantonner is used in everyday French to describe the act of humming a tune or melody, often unconsciously or softly.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, chantonner is formed by conjugating the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the imperfect tense and adding the past participle “chantonné.” For example:

  1. J’avais chantonné toute la journée. (I had been humming all day.)
  2. Tu avais chantonné une chanson triste. (You had hummed a sad song.)
  3. Elle avait chantonné en préparant le dîner. (She had hummed while preparing dinner.)

In these examples, chantonner is used to describe a past action that had already been completed before another past action. The English translations reflect this tense by using “had” followed by the past participle form of the verb “to hum.”

Overall, chantonner is a common verb in everyday French used to describe the simple and pleasant act of humming a tune.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais chantoné J’avais chantoné une chanson. I had hummed a song.
tu tu avais chantoné Tu avais chantoné une mélodie. You had hummed a melody.
il il avait chantoné Il avait chantoné une chanson. He had hummed a song.
elle elle avait chantoné Elle avait chantoné une berceuse. She had hummed a lullaby.
on on avait chantoné On avait chantoné une chanson. One had hummed a song.
nous nous avions chantoné Nous avions chantoné un refrain. We had hummed a chorus.
vous vous aviez chantoné Vous aviez chantoné une chanson. You had hummed a song.
ils ils avaient chantoné Ils avaient chantoné une mélodie. They had hummed a melody.
elles elles avaient chantoné Elles avaient chantoné une chanson. They had hummed a song.

Other Conjugations for Chantonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chantonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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