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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chasser

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The English translation of the French verb chasser is “to hunt” or “to chase.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “sha-say.”

The language origin of chasser can be traced back to the Latin word “captiare,” meaning “to take or capture.” It is often used in everyday French to refer to the action of hunting or chasing animals, but it can also be used in a figurative sense to mean “to pursue” or “to drive away.”

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, chasser is used to express a past action that was completed before another past action. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” conjugated in the Subjonctif Imparfait tense, followed by the past participle of chasser.

Examples:

  1. Il fallait que je l’eusse chassé avant qu’il ne cause plus de problèmes.
    Translation: I had to have chased him away before he caused more problems.

  2. Nous étions heureux que les chats eussent été chassés de notre jardin avant que nous n’y installions notre potager.
    Translation: We were happy that the cats had been chased away from our garden before we planted our vegetable garden there.

  3. Je regrette qu’elle ait déjà chassé toutes les bêtes sauvages du parc avant que je ne puisse les voir.
    Translation: I regret that she had already hunted all the wild beasts in the park before I could see them.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse chassé Il fallait que je eusse chassé. It was necessary for me to have hunted.
tu eusses chassé Il fallait que tu eusses chassé. It was necessary for you to have hunted.
il eût chassé Il fallait qu’il eût chassé. It was necessary for him to have hunted.
elle eût chassé Il fallait qu’elle eût chassé. It was necessary for her to have hunted.
on eût chassé Il fallait qu’on eût chassé. It was necessary for one to have hunted.
nous eussions chassé Il fallait que nous eussions chassé. It was necessary for us to have hunted.
vous eussiez chassé Il fallait que vous eussiez chassé. It was necessary for you to have hunted.
ils eussent chassé Il fallait qu’ils eussent chassé. It was necessary for them to have hunted.
elles eussent chassé Il fallait qu’elles eussent chassé. It was necessary for them to have hunted.

Other Conjugations for Chasser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chasser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Chasser – 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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