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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bachoter

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The English translation of the French verb bachoter is “to cram/study intensively.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “bah-sho-tay.”

The word bachoter comes from the word “bachot,” which refers to a wooden paddle used for washing clothes. In the 19th century, it was also used to refer to a type of boat used on the Seine river in Paris to transport students to their exams. The word then evolved to mean “to study intensively” because students would often cram for their exams while on the boat.

In everyday French, bachoter is most often used in the Subjonctif Passé tense to express a hypothetical or doubtful action in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. Je doute qu’il ait bachoté pour son examen. (I doubt he crammed for his exam.)
  2. Il est possible que nous ayons bachoté ensemble pour notre cours de français. (It is possible that we crammed together for our French class.)
  3. J’aurais préféré que tu aies bachoté plus tôt pour ton examen. (I would have preferred that you had crammed earlier for your exam.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aie bachoté Je doute que j’aie bachoté. I doubt that I crammed for exams.
tu aies bachoté Il faut que tu aies bachoté. You must have crammed for exams.
il ait bachoté Il est possible qu’il ait bachoté. It’s possible he crammed for exams.
elle ait bachoté Elle craint qu’elle ait bachoté. She fears she crammed for exams.
on ait bachoté On veut qu’on ait bachoté. We want it that we crammed for exams.
nous ayons bachoté Espérons que nous ayons bachoté. Let’s hope we crammed for exams.
vous ayez bachoté Il est important que vous ayez bachoté. It’s important that you crammed for exams.
ils aient bachoté Ils doutent qu’ils aient bachoté. They doubt they crammed for exams.
elles aient bachoté Elles préfèrent qu’elles aient bachoté. They prefer they crammed for exams.

Other Conjugations for Bachoter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bachoter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Bachoter – 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 bachoter. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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