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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chamoiser

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The English translation of the French verb chamoiser is “to chamois” or “to polish with chamois leather.” The infinitive form is pronounced “shah-mwah-zay.”

The word chamoiser comes from the noun chamois, which refers to a type of soft leather made from the skin of a European mountain goat. The verb chamoiser was derived from this noun and originally meant “to polish with chamois leather.” However, over time, it has come to also mean “to polish” in a more general sense.

In everyday French usage, chamoiser is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express a past action that is hypothetical or uncertain. This tense is typically used in conjunction with the conditional tense to express a past event that did not happen or to express a regret or disappointment. It is formed by using the past subjunctive form of the auxiliary verb avoir or être, followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Here are three examples of chamoiser used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, along with their English translations:

  1. J’aurais chamoisé la voiture si j’avais eu le temps. (I would have polished the car if I had had the time.)
  2. Elle aurait chamoisé ses chaussures avant de sortir si elle avait su que c’était une soirée chic. (She would have polished her shoes before going out if she had known it was a fancy party.)
  3. Nous serions arrivés à temps si nous n’avions pas dû chamoiser la table avant de partir. (We would have arrived on time if we hadn’t had to polish the table before leaving.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse chamoisé J’aurais aimé que je eusse chamoisé. I wish I had buffed.
tu eusses chamoisé J’aurais aimé que tu eusses chamoisé. I wish you had buffed.
il eût chamoisé J’aurais aimé qu’il eût chamoisé. I wish he had buffed.
elle eût chamoisé J’aurais aimé qu’elle eût chamoisé. I wish she had buffed.
on eût chamoisé J’aurais aimé qu’on eût chamoisé. I wish one had buffed.
nous eussions chamoisé J’aurais aimé que nous eussions chamoisé. I wish we had buffed.
vous eussiez chamoisé J’aurais aimé que vous eussiez chamoisé. I wish you had buffed.
ils eussent chamoisé J’aurais aimé qu’ils eussent chamoisé. I wish they had buffed.
elles eussent chamoisé J’aurais aimé qu’elles eussent chamoisé. I wish they had buffed.

Other Conjugations for Chamoiser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chamoiser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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