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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb choper

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The English translation of the French verb choper is “to catch” or “to grab.” The infinitive form is pronounced “sho-pey.”

The word choper comes from the Old French verb “chopier,” meaning “to lay hold of” or “to seize.” It is most often used in every day French to mean “to catch” or “to grab,” but it can also have other meanings depending on the context, such as “to pick up” or “to get.”

In the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense, choper is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action that took place before another past action. It is formed by using the subjunctive form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” followed by the past participle of choper.

Example 1: J’avais peur qu’ils eussent chopé mon sac à main.
(I was afraid that they had caught my handbag.)

Example 2: Il fallait que nous eussions chopé le dernier train.
(We had to catch the last train.)

Example 3: Elle était contente qu’il eût chopé son appel.
(She was glad that he had picked up her call.)

In each of these examples, choper is used in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action that took place before another past action. The English translations reflect this tense by using the past perfect tense (“had caught,” “had to catch,” “had picked up”).

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

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

Other Conjugations for Choper.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb choper
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Choper – 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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