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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chiner

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English translation: The English translation of the French verb chiner is “to browse” or “to hunt for bargains.” It is pronounced as “shee-nay.”

Language origin: The word “chiner” comes from the French word “chine,” which means “china” or “porcelain.” In the 19th century, people would collect and hunt for antique china, giving rise to the verb “chiner” to describe this activity. Over time, the word’s meaning expanded to include browsing for any kind of antiques or bargains.

Usage in Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense: In everyday French, the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense is used to express a past action that is hypothetical or contrary to reality. The verb chiner can be used in this tense to express a past action that was desired or wished for, but did not actually happen.

Examples:

  1. J’aurais aimé que tu aies chiné cette vieille horloge avec moi. (I would have liked for you to have browsed for that old clock with me.)
  2. Elle aurait préféré que nous ayons chiné des meubles anciens au lieu de les acheter neufs. (She would have preferred for us to have hunted for antique furniture instead of buying them new.)
  3. Il aurait fallu que je n’aie pas chiné autant de choses pendant cette brocante. Maintenant, je n’ai plus de place chez moi ! (I should not have browsed for so many things during that flea market. Now, I have no more space at home!)

English translations:

  1. I wish you had browsed for that old clock with me.
  2. She would have preferred us to have hunted for antique furniture instead of buying them new.
  3. I should not have browsed for so many things during that flea market. Now, I have no more space at home!

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

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

Other Conjugations for Chiner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chiner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Chiner – 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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