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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chavirer

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The English translation of the French verb chavirer is “to capsize” or “to overturn.” The infinitive form of chavirer is pronounced “shah-vee-rer.”

The language origin of chavirer can be traced back to the Latin word “caput,” meaning “head,” which evolved into the Old French word “chavirer,” meaning “to turn upside down.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which expresses a hypothetical or unreal past action.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. J’avais peur que le bateau n’ait chaviré pendant la tempête. (I was afraid that the boat had capsized during the storm.)

  2. Il était triste que son entreprise ait chaviré à cause de ses mauvaises décisions. (He was sad that his company had collapsed because of his bad decisions.)

  3. Nous craignions que le pont ait chaviré sous le poids du camion. (We feared that the bridge had overturned under the weight of the truck.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse chaviré Je savais que je eusse chaviré si je n’avais pas pris le médicament. I knew I would have capsized if I hadn’t taken the medicine.
tu eusses chaviré J’aurais été très effrayé si tu eusses chaviré. I would have been very scared if you had capsized.
il eût chaviré Je me demande ce qui se serait passé s’il eût chaviré. I wonder what would have happened if he had capsized.
elle eût chaviré Elle a eu de la chance de ne pas être blessée quand elle eût chaviré. She was lucky not to be injured when she capsized.
on eût chaviré J’espère que personne n’eût chaviré pendant la tempête. I hope no one capsized during the storm.
nous eussions chaviré Nous eussions été perdus si nous n’avions pas réussi à chavirer le bateau. We would have been lost if we hadn’t managed to capsize the boat.
vous eussiez chaviré J’aurais été plus calme si vous eussiez chaviré moins souvent. I would have been calmer if you had capsized less often.
ils eussent chaviré Ils auraient pu se noyer si leur bateau eussent chaviré plus tôt. They could have drowned if their boat had capsized earlier.
elles eussent chaviré Je suis heureux qu’elles eussent chaviré en toute sécurité. I am glad they capsized safely.

Other Conjugations for Chavirer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chavirer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Chavirer – 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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