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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb choquer

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The English translation of the French verb choquer is “to shock” or “to be shocking.” The infinitive form is pronounced “sho-keh.”

The language origin of choquer comes from the Old French word “choquier,” meaning “to strike,” which ultimately comes from the Latin word “coactare,” meaning “to compel.”

In everyday French, choquer is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is equivalent to the past perfect tense in English. It is used to describe an action that had already been completed before another action in the past.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. J’avais choqué mes parents en leur annonçant que j’allais quitter mon travail. (I had shocked my parents by telling them I was going to quit my job.)

  2. Tu avais choqué tout le monde en criant pendant le film. (You had shocked everyone by shouting during the movie.)

  3. Ils avaient choqué leurs voisins en faisant une fête bruyante jusqu’à minuit. (They had shocked their neighbors by having a loud party until midnight.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais choqué J’avais choqué mon patron en lui parlant ainsi. I had shocked my boss by speaking to him like that.
tu tu avais choqué Tu avais choqué ta mère avec ton comportement. You had shocked your mother with your behavior.
il il avait choqué Il avait choqué sa famille en avouant son secret. He had shocked his family by revealing his secret.
elle elle avait choqué Elle avait choqué ses amis en disant la vérité. She had shocked her friends by telling the truth.
on on avait choqué On avait choqué les invités en annulant le mariage. One had shocked the guests by canceling the wedding.
nous nous avions choqué Nous avions choqué nos voisins avec notre bruit. We had shocked our neighbors with our noise.
vous vous aviez choqué Vous aviez choqué le public avec votre performance. You had shocked the audience with your performance.
ils ils avaient choqué Ils avaient choqué leurs professeurs avec leurs réponses. They had shocked their teachers with their answers.
elles elles avaient choqué Elles avaient choqué leurs collègues avec leur attitude. They had shocked their colleagues with their attitude.

Other Conjugations for Choquer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb choquer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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