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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chiner

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The English translation of the French verb chiner is “to bargain hunt” or “to go searching for bargains at flea markets or second-hand shops.” The infinitive form of chiner is pronounced as “shee-nay.”

The word chiner comes from the French word “chine,” which means “China.” This is because in the 19th century, there was a trend of collecting Chinese art and furniture, and the verb chiner originally referred to this type of collecting. However, over time, the meaning has evolved to encompass all types of bargain hunting and searching for treasures.

In everyday French, chiner is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense. This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another past action.

Three simple examples of its usage in the Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. J’avais chiné cette belle robe vintage avant de la voir sur une célébrité. (I had bargained for this beautiful vintage dress before I saw it on a celebrity.)

  2. Nous avions chiné ces vieux vinyles avant qu’ils ne deviennent populaires. (We had gone searching for these old vinyl records before they became popular.)

  3. Elle avait chiné ce tableau ancien avant qu’il ne soit vendu aux enchères. (She had bargained for this old painting before it was sold at auction.)

  4. I had bought this beautiful vintage dress before seeing it on a celebrity.

  5. We had gone bargain hunting for these old vinyl records before they became popular.

  6. She had acquired this old painting before it was sold at auction.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais chiné J’avais chiné un beau meuble. I had browsed for a nice piece of furniture.
tu tu avais chiné Tu avais chiné de vieux objets. You had browsed for old objects.
il il avait chiné Il avait chiné des bibelots. He had browsed for trinkets.
elle elle avait chiné Elle avait chiné des œuvres d’art. She had browsed for works of art.
on on avait chiné On avait chiné dans les marchés aux puces. One had browsed in flea markets.
nous nous avions chiné Nous avions chiné des vases anciens. We had browsed for old vases.
vous vous aviez chiné Vous aviez chiné des pièces de monnaie. You had browsed for coins.
ils ils avaient chiné Ils avaient chiné des livres rares. They had browsed for rare books.
elles elles avaient chiné Elles avaient chiné des bijoux. They had browsed for jewelry.

Other Conjugations for Chiner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chiner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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