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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb atteler

Get the Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) tense conjugation of atteler. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb atteler is “to harness” or “to hitch.”

The infinitive form of atteler is pronounced [a-tuh-le].

Atteler comes from the Old French word “ateler,” which ultimately derives from the Latin word “aptare,” meaning “to fit.” In every day French, atteler is most often used in the Subjonctif Passé tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action that took place in the past.

Here are three simple examples of atteler used in the Subjonctif Passé tense:

  1. Il est possible que j’aie attelé les chevaux avant le coucher du soleil. (It is possible that I harnessed the horses before sunset.)
  2. Je doute que nous ayons attelé la charrette correctement. (I doubt that we correctly hitched the cart.)
  3. Il fallait que vous ayez attelé les bœufs avant de partir. (You had to hitch the oxen before leaving.)

In these examples, the Subjonctif Passé tense is used to express uncertainty or doubt about the actions of atteler. The English translation of this tense is often “might have” or “would have.”

Table of the Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of atteler

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aie attelé Je doute que j’aie attelé le cheval. I doubt that I harnessed the horse.
tu aies attelé Il faut que tu aies attelé la charrette. You must have harnessed the cart.
il ait attelé Il est possible qu’il ait attelé les bœufs. It’s possible he harnessed the oxen.
elle ait attelé Elle craint qu’elle ait attelé le tracteur. She fears she harnessed the tractor.
on ait attelé On veut qu’on ait attelé l’âne. We want it to have been harnessed.
nous ayons attelé Espérons que nous ayons attelé les mules. Let’s hope we harnessed the mules.
vous ayez attelé Il est important que vous ayez attelé les chevaux. It’s important that you harnessed the horses.
ils aient attelé Ils doutent qu’ils aient attelé les vaches. They doubt they harnessed the cows.
elles aient attelé Elles préfèrent qu’elles aient attelé les chèvres. They prefer they harnessed the goats.

Other Conjugations for Atteler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb atteler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb atteler     (this article)

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

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

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

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

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

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb atteler

    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
   

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the atteler Subjonctif Passé tense conjugation!

Atteler – About the French Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense

The French Subjonctif Passé is a verb tense used to express actions or states that are uncertain, hypothetical, or dependent on some condition in the past. It’s often used in conjunction with the main verb in the present or future tense to convey various nuances of doubt, desire, necessity, or emotion.

NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation of the Subjonctif Passé

To form the Subjonctif Passé, you generally need to start with the third person plural (ils/elles) form of the passé composé (a compound past tense). Then, drop the subject and replace it with the appropriate Subjonctif endings. The endings are the same for regular -er, -ir, and -re verbs:

   – For -er verbs: -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent
   – For -ir verbs: -isse, -isses, -ît, -issions, -issiez, -issent
   – For -re verbs: -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent

For example, if you have the verb “parler” (to speak) in the third person plural passé composé, which is “ils ont parlé” (they spoke), the Subjonctif Passé form would be “qu’ils aient parlé” (that they spoke).

Everyday Usage Patterns

The Subjonctif Passé is commonly used in various situations:

– Expressing doubt or uncertainty: It’s used when you’re not certain about the completion of an action in the past. For example, “Je doute qu’il ait mangé” (I doubt that he ate).

– Desires and preferences: When you want or wish for something to have happened in the past. For instance, “Je préfère que tu aies réussi” (I prefer that you have succeeded).

– Expressing emotions: To convey emotions or feelings related to past actions or events. For example, “Il est content que nous ayons gagné” (He is happy that we won).

– Hypothetical situations: When discussing hypothetical or unreal past situations. For example, “Si j’avais su, j’aurais souhaité qu’ils aient été là” (If I had known, I would have wished they had been there).

Interactions with Other Tenses

The Subjonctif Passé often interacts with other tenses to convey specific meanings:

Present tense

It’s commonly used after expressions of doubt, desire, necessity, or emotion in the present. For example, “Il faut que tu aies fini” (You must have finished).

Future tense

It’s used in the future for hypothetical or unreal actions in the past when the main clause is in the future. For example, “Je douterai qu’ils aient terminé demain” (I will doubt that they have finished tomorrow).

Conditional

When the main clause is in the conditional, the Subjonctif Passé can be used to express unreal or hypothetical actions in the past. For instance, “Il voudrait que nous ayons réussi” (He would like us to have succeeded).

Summary

The Subjonctif Passé is a versatile tense used in French to convey uncertainty, doubt, desire, or hypothetical situations related to past actions. It is used in various everyday contexts and interacts with other tenses to express specific nuances in the language.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb atteler. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply