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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chatonner

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The English translation of the French verb chatonner is “to sparkle” or “to twinkle.” The infinitive form is pronounced “sha-toh-neh.”

The word chatonner comes from the noun chaton, which means “kitten.” It is derived from the Old French word “chaton,” which also means “kitten.” The use of chaton as a verb, meaning “to sparkle,” originated in the 18th century.

In everyday French, chatonner is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or unreal action that would have happened in the past. It is formed by using the conditional form of the auxiliary verb avoir or être, followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Some examples of using chatonner in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense are:

  1. Il aurait chatonné si les lumières avaient été allumées. (He would have sparkled if the lights had been on.)

  2. Elle aurait chatonné toute la nuit si elle n’avait pas été fatiguée. (She would have twinkled all night if she hadn’t been tired.)

  3. Ils seraient arrivés avant que les étoiles aient chatonné dans le ciel. (They would have arrived before the stars had twinkled in the sky.)

In these examples, chatonner is used to describe a hypothetical or unreal action that would have taken place in the past. The use of the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense adds a sense of uncertainty or doubt to the actions described.

In English, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is often translated using “would have” followed by the past participle of the verb.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Chatonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chatonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Chatonner – 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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