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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb caqueter

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The English translation of the French verb caqueter is “to cackle”. It is pronounced “kah-keh-teh”.

The language origin of caqueter can be traced back to the Latin word “cacare”, meaning “to defecate”. Over time, it evolved to become “cacher”, meaning “to chatter” or “to babble”. In the 16th century, it evolved again to become “caqueter”, specifically referring to the sound of a chicken’s cackle.

In everyday French, caqueter is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express a past action that was hypothetical, uncertain or conditional. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the plus-que-parfait tense, followed by the past participle of caqueter.

Here are three examples of caqueter used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu ne caquetasses pas pendant notre réunion.
    (I wish you hadn’t cackled during our meeting.)

  2. Elle aurait voulu que nous ayons caqueté ensemble comme avant.
    (She would have liked us to cackle together like before.)

  3. Si j’avais su qu’il allait caqueter à tout le monde, je ne l’aurais pas invité.
    (If I had known he would cackle to everyone, I wouldn’t have invited him.)

Table of the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of caqueter

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse caqueté J’ai eu l’impression que je eusse caqueté. I felt like I had clucked.
tu eusses caqueté J’ai eu l’impression que tu eusses caqueté. I felt like you had clucked.
il eût caqueté J’ai eu l’impression qu’il eût caqueté. I felt like he had clucked.
elle eût caqueté J’ai eu l’impression qu’elle eût caqueté. I felt like she had clucked.
on eût caqueté J’ai eu l’impression qu’on eût caqueté. I felt like one had clucked.
nous eussions caqueté J’ai eu l’impression que nous eussions caqueté. I felt like we had clucked.
vous eussiez caqueté J’ai eu l’impression que vous eussiez caqueté. I felt like you had clucked.
ils eussent caqueté J’ai eu l’impression qu’ils eussent caqueté. I felt like they had clucked.
elles eussent caqueté J’ai eu l’impression qu’elles eussent caqueté. I felt like they had clucked.

Other Conjugations for Caqueter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caqueter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caqueter
    (this article)

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Caqueter – About the French Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense

The French Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait, also known as the Pluperfect Subjunctive, is a verb tense used to express actions or states that occurred before another action in the past, and it’s used in situations where the indicative mood is in the past subjunctive or conditional mood.
NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation

To form the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait, you start with the imperfect subjunctive form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être,” followed by the past participle of the main verb. 
For “avoir” verbs: Take the imperfect subjunctive form of “avoir” (e.g., j’eusse, tu eusses, il/elle eût, nous eussions, vous eussiez, ils/elles eussent). Add the past participle of the main verb. 
For “être” verbs: Take the imperfect subjunctive form of “être” (e.g., je fusse, tu fusses, il/elle fût, nous fussions, vous fussiez, ils/elles fussent). Add the past participle of the main verb.

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

Hypothetical Situations

The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait is often used to express hypothetical or unreal actions that occurred before another past action.
For example: J’aurais aimé que tu aies fini ton travail avant que je sois arrivé. (I would have liked for you to have finished your work before I arrived.) 

Reported Speech

In reported speech, you may use the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait to convey what someone said or thought in the past. 
For example: Il m’a dit qu’il avait peur que je n’aie pas compris. (He told me that he was afraid that I hadn’t understood.) 

Doubt, Wishes, and Emotions

This tense can also be used to express doubt, wishes, and emotions about past actions. 
For example: Je doutais qu’il eût dit la vérité. (I doubted that he had told the truth.) 
J’aurais souhaité que tu fusses venu. (I would have wished for you to have come.)

Interactions with Other Tenses

Present Subjunctive

The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait can be used to describe past actions when the main verb is in the present subjunctive. 
For example: “Il faut que j’aie fini mon travail avant que tu partes.” (I must have finished my work before you leave.) 

Imperfect Subjunctive

It’s common to use the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait with the imperfect subjunctive in complex sentences. 
For example: “Il m’avait dit qu’il fût rentré avant la fin de la journée.” (He had told me that he had returned before the end of the day.) 

Conditional

When the main verb is in the conditional mood, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait can be used to express past unreal conditions. 
For example: “Si j’avais su, j’aurais voulu que tu aies réussi.” (If I had known, I would have wanted you to have succeeded.)

Summary

The Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait is a complex tense used to convey nuanced meanings in French. While its usage may seem intricate, it becomes more intuitive with practice and exposure to the language. It’s important to understand the context in which it’s used, as it often conveys subtleties of time, conditionality, and emotion in French sentences.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb caqueter. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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