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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chuchoter

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The English translation of the French verb chuchoter is “to whisper.” The pronunciation of the infinitive form of chuchoter is “shoo-sho-tey.”

Chuchoter comes from the Old French word “chuchoter,” which is derived from the Latin word “susurrare,” meaning “to murmur or whisper.” It is most often used in everyday French to describe the act of speaking in a low or hushed voice, often in a secretive or conspiratorial manner.

Examples of chuchoter in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. Nous avions chuchoté toute la nuit pour ne pas réveiller les voisins. (We had whispered all night to not wake up the neighbors.)
  2. Tu avais chuchoté à l’oreille de ton ami pendant le film. (You had whispered in your friend’s ear during the movie.)
  3. Ils avaient chuchoté des rumeurs sur le nouveau professeur. (They had whispered rumors about the new teacher.)

In all of these examples, chuchoter is used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to describe an action that had already been completed in the past. It is often used in narration to describe a situation or atmosphere in a story.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais chuchoté J’avais chuchoté à mon amie. I had whispered to my friend.
tu tu avais chuchoté Tu avais chuchoté à ton voisin. You had whispered to your neighbor.
il il avait chuchoté Il avait chuchoté à sa soeur. He had whispered to his sister.
elle elle avait chuchoté Elle avait chuchoté à sa mère. She had whispered to her mother.
on on avait chuchoté On avait chuchoté à l’oreille de quelqu’un. One had whispered in someone’s ear.
nous nous avions chuchoté Nous avions chuchoté pendant la réunion. We had whispered during the meeting.
vous vous aviez chuchoté Vous aviez chuchoté à haute voix. You had whispered aloud.
ils ils avaient chuchoté Ils avaient chuchoté à l’oreille de leur ami. They had whispered in their friend’s ear.
elles elles avaient chuchoté Elles avaient chuchoté en classe. They had whispered in class.

Other Conjugations for Chuchoter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chuchoter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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