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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chevroter

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The English translation of the French verb chevroter is “to stutter” or “to stammer.” The infinitive form, “chevroter,” is pronounced “shev-rot-ay.”

The word “chevroter” comes from the French word “chevrotine,” meaning “small shot,” and is derived from the word “chevreau,” meaning “young goat.” This origin is believed to be related to the sound made by a goat as it stutters or hesitates while speaking.

In everyday French, “chevroter” is most often used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, which is a past tense used to express a hypothetical or unreal action in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. Je doute qu’il ait chevroté pendant son discours. (I doubt that he stuttered during his speech.)
  2. Il est évident qu’elle ait chevroté lors de son entretien d’embauche. (It is evident that she stuttered during her job interview.)
  3. Nous aurions préféré qu’ils n’aient pas chevroté avant de répondre à nos questions. (We would have preferred that they had not stuttered before answering our questions.)

In each of these examples, “chevroter” is used to describe a hypothetical or unreal action in the past, expressing doubt, certainty, or preference. In the first sentence, the speaker expresses doubt about the action of stuttering. In the second sentence, the speaker is stating a fact, but using the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express their certainty. In the third sentence, the speaker is expressing a preference for a past action.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je eusse chevroté Je suis désolé que je eusse chevroté. I’m sorry I had stammered.
tu eusses chevroté Je suis désolé que tu eusses chevroté. I’m sorry you had stammered.
il eût chevroté Je suis désolé qu’il eût chevroté. I’m sorry he had stammered.
elle eût chevroté Je suis désolé qu’elle eût chevroté. I’m sorry she had stammered.
on eût chevroté Je suis désolé qu’on eût chevroté. I’m sorry one had stammered.
nous eussions chevroté Je suis désolé que nous eussions chevroté. I’m sorry we had stammered.
vous eussiez chevroté Je suis désolé que vous eussiez chevroté. I’m sorry you had stammered.
ils eussent chevroté Je suis désolé qu’ils eussent chevroté. I’m sorry they had stammered.
elles eussent chevroté Je suis désolé qu’elles eussent chevroté. I’m sorry they had stammered.

Other Conjugations for Chevroter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chevroter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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