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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chaponner

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The English translation of the French verb chaponner is “to caponize” or “to neuter.” It is pronounced sha-poh-nay.

The word chaponner comes from the French word “chapon,” which refers to a castrated rooster. In everyday French, chaponner is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or unreal action that took place before another past action.

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

  1. Il était nécessaire que je chaponnasse le coq avant de le vendre. (It was necessary for me to neuter the rooster before selling it.)
  2. Nous aurions préféré que vous eussiez chaponné les poulets avant qu’ils ne grandissent. (We would have preferred for you to have caponized the chickens before they grew up.)
  3. J’aurais aimé que tu eusses chaponné tous les coqs dans la ferme. (I would have liked for you to have caponized all the roosters on the farm.)

In each of these examples, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is used to express a hypothetical action that took place before another past action. In the first sentence, it was necessary to neuter the rooster before selling it. In the second sentence, it would have been better to caponize the chickens before they grew up. And in the third sentence, the speaker expresses a desire for the person to have neutered all the roosters on the farm.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Chaponner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chaponner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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