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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chouiner

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The English translation of the French verb chouiner is “to whine” or “to whimper”. It is pronounced as “shwee-nay” in the infinitive form.

The language origin of chouiner can be traced back to the Old French word “choisnier”, which meant “to cry softly”. Over time, it evolved into “chouiner” with the same meaning.

In everyday French, chouiner 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 action in the past.

Example 1: J’avais chouiné tout l’après-midi avant que mes parents ne me donnent un bonbon. (I had been whining all afternoon before my parents gave me a candy.)
Example 2: Elle avait chouiné pendant des heures avant de se faire consoler par son ami. (She had been whimpering for hours before being comforted by her friend.)
Example 3: Nous avions chouiné jusqu’à ce que notre mère nous dise d’arrêter. (We had been whining until our mother told us to stop.)

These examples show how chouiner is used to describe a continuous action in the past that happened before another action. In each of these sentences, the action of chouiner was ongoing and was completed before the next action took place.

In English, the Plus-que-parfait tense is expressed with “had been” plus the present participle. This helps to show the ongoing nature of the action in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais chouiné J’avais chouiné toute la nuit. I had been whining all night.
tu tu avais chouiné Tu avais chouiné pour un bonbon. You had whined for a candy.
il il avait chouiné Il avait chouiné après sa mère. He had whined after his mother.
elle elle avait chouiné Elle avait chouiné pour un jouet. She had whined for a toy.
on on avait chouiné On avait chouiné toute la journée. One had been whining all day.
nous nous avions chouiné Nous avions chouiné pour les vacances. We had whined for the holidays.
vous vous aviez chouiné Vous aviez chouiné pour un cadeau. You had whined for a gift.
ils ils avaient chouiné Ils avaient chouiné pour un film. They had whined for a movie.
elles elles avaient chouiné Elles avaient chouiné pour une sortie. They had whined for an outing.

Other Conjugations for Chouiner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chouiner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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