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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chapeler

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The English translation of the French verb chapeler is “to spell” or “to spell out.” The infinitive form is pronounced “sha-puh-leh.”

The verb chapeler comes from the Latin word “capitellare” meaning “to write in capital letters.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express something that had been spelled out in the past.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. J’étais content qu’il eût chapelé mon nom sans faute. (I was happy that he had spelled my name correctly.)

  2. Elle était fière que ses enfants eussent bien chapelé les mots compliqués. (She was proud that her children had spelled the complicated words correctly.)

  3. Nous étions tristes qu’il eût mal chapelé le nom de notre ville natale. (We were sad that he had misspelled the name of our hometown.)

English translations:

  1. I was happy that he had spelled my name correctly.
  2. She was proud that her children had spelled the complicated words correctly.
  3. We were sad that he had misspelled the name of our hometown.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Chapeler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chapeler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Chapeler – 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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