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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chantonner

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The English translation of the French verb chantonner is “to hum” or “to sing softly.” It is pronounced as “shahn-toh-nay.”

The word chantonner comes from the French word “chanton,” which means “to sing.” It is a combination of the prefix “chanter,” meaning “to sing,” and the suffix “-onner,” which is used to form verbs that indicate a repeated or ongoing action.

In everyday French, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is used to express actions or events that took place before another action or event in the past. It is formed by using the subjonctif imparfait form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être,” followed by the past participle of the main verb. In the case of chantonner, it would be “j’eus chantonné” or “j’étais chantonné.”

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

  1. J’étais content qu’il eût chantonné toute la journée. (I was happy that he had been humming all day.)
  2. Elle n’avait pas remarqué qu’il eût chantonné pendant le film. (She hadn’t noticed he had been humming during the movie.)
  3. Nous avions peur qu’il eût chantonné notre chanson préférée à tue-tête. (We were afraid he had been singing our favorite song at the top of his lungs.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Chantonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chantonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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