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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chlinguer

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The English translation of the French verb chlinguer is “to stink” or “to smell bad.” It is pronounced as “shling-GAY.”

The word chlinguer is derived from the French word “lingue,” meaning “tongue,” and the suffix “-er,” which is used to form verbs. It is considered a colloquial and informal verb, often used in spoken language rather than formal writing.

In everyday French, chlinguer is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English. This tense indicates an action that was completed before another past action. It is formed with the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of the verb.

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

  1. Hier, la poubelle avait chlingué toute la maison. (Yesterday, the trash can had stunk up the whole house.)

  2. Il avait oublié de sortir les déchets et ça avait chlingué toute la nuit. (He had forgotten to take out the garbage and it had stunk all night.)

  3. Nous avions nettoyé la cuisine parce qu’elle avait chlingué après avoir préparé du poisson. (We had cleaned the kitchen because it had stunk after cooking fish.)

In all of these examples, the verb chlinguer is used to describe a strong and unpleasant smell that had occurred in the past. It is often used to talk about bad smells coming from food, garbage, or other sources.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais chlingué J’avais chlingué la poubelle. I had stunk up the trash can.
tu tu avais chlingué Tu avais chlingué la cuisine. You had stunk up the kitchen.
il il avait chlingué Il avait chlingué la chambre. He had stunk up the bedroom.
elle elle avait chlingué Elle avait chlingué la salle de bain. She had stunk up the bathroom.
on on avait chlingué On avait chlingué le salon. One had stunk up the living room.
nous nous avions chlingué Nous avions chlingué la voiture. We had stunk up the car.
vous vous aviez chlingué Vous aviez chlingué le bureau. You had stunk up the office.
ils ils avaient chlingué Ils avaient chlingué le couloir. They had stunk up the hallway.
elles elles avaient chlingué Elles avaient chlingué la cave. They had stunk up the basement.

Other Conjugations for Chlinguer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chlinguer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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