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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chanceler

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The English translation of the French verb chanceler is “to stagger” or “to waver.” The infinitive form, chanceler, is pronounced “shahn-suh-lay.”

Chanceler comes from the Old French word chanceler, which is derived from the Latin word cancellare, meaning “to make a lattice or grate.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is used to express a completed action that happened before another action in the past.

Examples of chanceler in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais peur qu’il ait chancelé en traversant le pont. (I was afraid that he had staggered while crossing the bridge.)

  2. Elle était tellement fatiguée qu’elle eût chancelé si elle avait dû marcher plus longtemps. (She was so tired that she would have staggered if she had to walk any longer.)

  3. Nous avions prié pour qu’ils eussent évité de chanceler lors de leur présentation. (We had prayed that they had avoided staggering during their presentation.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Chanceler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chanceler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Chanceler – 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.

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