The Past Subjunctive (Le Subjonctif Passé)

The past subjunctive is a verbal form that expresses an action occurring before the main verb while retaining the subjective nuances characteristic of the subjunctive mood. It's a valuable linguistic tool for expressing hypotheses, wishes, or doubts about past actions.

Formation of the Past Subjunctive

The past subjunctive is formed with the auxiliary verb "avoir" or "être" in the present subjunctive, followed by the past participle of the main verb. Here's the structure:

Auxiliary (avoir/être in present subjunctive) + Past participle of the main verb

Conjugation Table

Here's a table illustrating the conjugation of the past subjunctive for the verbs "aimer" (with avoir), "aller" (with être), and "se laver" (pronominal verb):

With the Auxiliary "Avoir"

Most verbs use "avoir" as the auxiliary in the past subjunctive. For example:

• que j'aie aimé (that I have loved)
• que tu aies fini (that you have finished)
• qu'il/elle ait vendu (that he/she has sold)
• que nous ayons parlé (that we have spoken)
• que vous ayez écrit (that you have written)
• qu'ils/elles aient lu (that they have read)

With the Auxiliary "Être"

The auxiliary "être" is used in the following cases:

1. With 14 verbs of movement and state: naître (to be born), mourir (to die), aller (to go), venir (to come), monter (to go up), descendre (to go down), arriver (to arrive), partir (to leave), entrer (to enter), sortir (to exit), apparaître (to appear), rester (to stay), retourner (to return), tomber (to fall) (and their derivatives). Example: que je sois allé(e) (that I have gone), que tu sois venu(e) (that you have come)
2. With pronominal verbs. Example: que je me sois lavé(e) (that I have washed myself), que nous nous soyons réveillé(e)s (that we have woken up)

Important note: Some verbs like descendre, (r)entrer, (re)monter, retourner and sortir use "avoir" when followed by a direct object. In this case, the meaning of the verb often changes.

Example:

• Il faut que vous soyez sortis avant 12 heures. (You must have left before 12 o'clock.)
• Il faut que vous ayez sorti les carottes du frigo avant le dîner. (You must have taken the carrots out of the fridge before dinner.)

Usage of the Past Subjunctive

The past subjunctive is mainly used in the following cases:

1. When the verb in the main clause is in the past: Example: Il était important pour lui qu'il ait pu jouer dans des films. (It was important for him that he had been able to act in movies.)
2. To express an action that occurred before the main verb: Example: Je suis content que tu aies réussi ton examen. (I am happy that you passed your exam.)
3. In subordinate clauses introduced by conjunctions that require the subjunctive: Example: Bien qu'il ait travaillé dur, il n'a pas obtenu le poste. (Although he worked hard, he didn't get the job.)

Quiz

Complete the following sentences using the past subjunctive: