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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chniquer

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The English translation of the French verb chniquer is “to nag/to bug/to annoy.” The infinitive form, chniquer, is pronounced “shee-nee-kay.”

The origin of chniquer is uncertain, as it is a slang term that is mostly used colloquially in French. It is believed to be derived from the word “chiquer,” which means to chew or to gnaw. It is most often used in everyday French in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense in English.

Here are three simple examples of chniquer in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais chniqué mes parents toute la journée pour qu’ils m’achètent un nouveau téléphone. (I had been nagging my parents all day to buy me a new phone.)

  2. Tu avais chniqué tes collègues avec toutes tes critiques incessantes. (You had been bugging your colleagues with all your constant criticisms.)

  3. Elle avait chniqué son petit ami pendant des heures pour qu’il lui pardonne. (She had been annoying her boyfriend for hours to forgive her.)

English translations:

  1. J’avais chniqué mes parents toute la journée pour qu’ils m’achètent un nouveau téléphone. (I had been nagging my parents all day to buy me a new phone.)

  2. Tu avais chniqué tes collègues avec toutes tes critiques incessantes. (You had been bugging your colleagues with all your constant criticisms.)

  3. Elle avait chniqué son petit ami pendant des heures pour qu’il lui pardonne. (She had been annoying her boyfriend for hours to forgive her.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais chniqué J’avais chniqué le moteur. I had ruined the engine.
tu tu avais chniqué Tu avais chniqué le disque. You had scratched the record.
il il avait chniqué Il avait chniqué la voiture. He had wrecked the car.
elle elle avait chniqué Elle avait chniqué le téléphone. She had broken the phone.
on on avait chniqué On avait chniqué la machine. One had damaged the machine.
nous nous avions chniqué Nous avions chniqué la télévision. We had messed up the television.
vous vous aviez chniqué Vous aviez chniqué le clavier. You had messed up the keyboard.
ils ils avaient chniqué Ils avaient chniqué l’ordinateur. They had messed up the computer.
elles elles avaient chniqué Elles avaient chniqué la tablette. They had messed up the tablet.

Other Conjugations for Chniquer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chniquer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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