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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chapitrer

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The English translation of the French verb chapitrer is “to chapter” or “to lecture”. It is pronounced “sha-pee-treh”.

The word chapitrer comes from the Old French word “chapitre” meaning “chapter”. It is most commonly used in its infinitive form in everyday French, but can also be found in the past tense, particularly the Plus-que-parfait tense.

In the Plus-que-parfait tense, chapitrer is used to describe an action that had been completed before another past action. It is often used to express regret or frustration.

Here are three simple examples of chapitrer used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais chapitré mes enfants sur l’importance de ranger leurs chambres, mais ils ne l’avaient pas fait. (I had lectured my children about the importance of tidying their rooms, but they had not done it.)

  2. Elle avait chapitré son mari pour ne pas avoir payé les factures à temps. (She had lectured her husband for not paying the bills on time.)

  3. Nous avions chapitré nos amis sur les dangers de la drogue, mais ils ont quand même essayé. (We had lectured our friends about the dangers of drugs, but they still tried it.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais chapitré J’avais chapitré le roman. I had lectured the novel.
tu tu avais chapitré Tu avais chapitré le cours. You had lectured the class.
il il avait chapitré Il avait chapitré le manuel. He had lectured the textbook.
elle elle avait chapitré Elle avait chapitré le livre. She had lectured the book.
on on avait chapitré On avait chapitré le chapitre. One had lectured the chapter.
nous nous avions chapitré Nous avions chapitré le chapitre. We had lectured the chapter.
vous vous aviez chapitré Vous aviez chapitré le chapitre. You had lectured the chapter.
ils ils avaient chapitré Ils avaient chapitré le chapitre. They had lectured the chapter.
elles elles avaient chapitré Elles avaient chapitré le chapitre. They had lectured the chapter.

Other Conjugations for Chapitrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chapitrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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