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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb basculer

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The English translation of the French verb basculer is “to tip over” or “to topple.” It is pronounced as “bahs-kuh-leh.”

The word basculer has its origins in the Latin word “bascula,” meaning “balance” or “scale.” It entered the French language in the 16th century and is derived from the verb “basculer” which means “to balance” or “to sway.”

In everyday French, the verb basculer is most often used in the Subjonctif Passé tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action that has already happened. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Subjonctif Présent tense followed by the past participle of the verb.

Some examples of basculer used in the Subjonctif Passé tense are:

  1. Il faut que tu aies basculé la table avant que je sois arrivé. (It is necessary that you have tipped over the table before I arrived.)
  2. J’aimerais que nous ayons basculé vers une solution plus pacifique. (I would like us to have shifted towards a more peaceful solution.)
  3. Il est possible que la bouteille ait basculé en raison du vent. (It is possible that the bottle may have toppled over due to the wind.)

In these examples, the verb basculer is used to express an action that may or may not have happened in the past. The Subjonctif Passé tense is often used in more formal or literary contexts in French.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aie basculé Il faut que j’aie basculé. I must have tipped.
tu aies basculé J’espère que tu aies basculé. I hope you tipped.
il ait basculé Il est possible qu’il ait basculé. It’s possible he tipped.
elle ait basculé Elle doute qu’elle ait basculé. She doubts she tipped.
on ait basculé On souhaite qu’on ait basculé. We wish we had tipped.
nous ayons basculé Nous voulons que nous ayons basculé. We want us to have tipped.
vous ayez basculé Vous préférez que vous ayez basculé. You prefer you tipped.
ils aient basculé Ils doutent qu’ils aient basculé. They doubt they tipped.
elles aient basculé Elles craignent qu’elles aient basculé. They fear they tipped.

Other Conjugations for Basculer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb basculer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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