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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chicaner

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The English translation of the French verb chicaner is “to quibble” or “to nitpick.” It is pronounced “shee-ka-ney.”

Chicaner comes from the French word “chicane,” which means “trickery” or “deception.” It is most often used in every day French in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English.

Examples of chicaner in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais chicané toute la journée, mais personne ne m’avait écouté. (I had been nitpicking all day, but no one had listened to me.)

  2. Tu avais chicané tous mes arguments avant même que j’aie commencé à parler. (You had quibbled with all my arguments before I even started speaking.)

  3. Elle avait chicané sur tous les détails de l’accord, ce qui a provoqué une dispute. (She had nitpicked over every detail of the agreement, which caused an argument.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais chicané J’avais chicané avec mon frère. I had bickered with my brother.
tu tu avais chicané Tu avais chicané avec ta copine. You had argued with your girlfriend.
il il avait chicané Il avait chicané avec son voisin. He had squabbled with his neighbor.
elle elle avait chicané Elle avait chicané avec sa mère. She had quarreled with her mother.
on on avait chicané On avait chicané avec nos amis. One had bickered with our friends.
nous nous avions chicané Nous avions chicané avec nos collègues. We had argued with our colleagues.
vous vous aviez chicané Vous aviez chicané avec vos voisins. You had quarreled with your neighbors.
ils ils avaient chicané Ils avaient chicané avec leurs enfants. They had bickered with their children.
elles elles avaient chicané Elles avaient chicané avec leurs amis. They had argued with their friends.

Other Conjugations for Chicaner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chicaner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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