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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb enchatonner

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The English translation of the French verb enchatonner is “to fit in,” “to insert,” or “to place in.” It is pronounced as “ah-shah-toh-nay.”

Enchatonner is derived from the Old French word “enchatonner,” which means “to fit in” or “to insert.” It comes from the prefix “en-” which means “in” or “into,” and the noun “chaton” which refers to a gemstone or precious stone. In everyday French, enchatonner is used mainly in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense to express a past action that is hypothetical or uncertain. It is often used in formal or literary contexts.

Here are three simple examples of enchatonner in the Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. J’avais enchatonné la pierre avant que le bijoutier ne la colle. (I had fit the stone in before the jeweler glued it.)
  2. Tu avais enchatonné les perles dans le collier si délicatement que je n’ai pas osé les toucher. (You had inserted the pearls in the necklace so delicately that I didn’t dare touch them.)
  3. Il avait enchatonné le diamant dans la bague avec soin pour la remettre à sa bien-aimée. (He had placed the diamond in the ring carefully to give it to his beloved.)

In each of these examples, the action of enchatonner is presented as being completed prior to another past action, and is used in a hypothetical or uncertain context. In English, this is often translated using the past perfect tense.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Enchatonner.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb enchatonner
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Enchatonner – 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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