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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb biffer

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The English translation of the French verb biffer is “to cross out” or “to strike out.” The infinitive form is pronounced “bee-fay.”

The word biffer has its origins in the Latin word “bifurcus,” meaning “divided in two.” In Old French, the word “bifer” was used to describe the act of cutting or dividing. Over time, this evolved into the modern French verb “biffer,” which refers to the act of crossing out or striking out written text.

In everyday French, biffer is most often used in the Subjonctif Passé tense to express a completed action or a hypothetical situation in the past. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Subjonctif Présent tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb, biffer.

Here are three simple examples of biffer used in the Subjonctif Passé tense with their English translations:

  1. J’aimerais que tu aies biffé ces mots. (I would like for you to have crossed out these words.)
  2. Il était important que nous ayons biffé cette phrase. (It was important for us to have struck out this sentence.)
  3. Je doute qu’il ait biffé son nom de la liste. (I doubt that he has crossed out his name from the list.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aie biffé Il est possible que j’aie biffé. It’s possible I crossed out.
tu aies biffé Tu veux que tu aies biffé. You want to have crossed out.
il ait biffé Il est important qu’il ait biffé. It’s important he crossed out.
elle ait biffé Elle est surprise qu’elle ait biffé. She’s surprised she crossed out.
on ait biffé On pense qu’on ait biffé. We think we crossed out.
nous ayons biffé Il faut que nous ayons biffé. We must have crossed out.
vous ayez biffé Vous êtes content que vous ayez biffé. You’re glad you crossed out.
ils aient biffé Ils regrettent qu’ils aient biffé. They regret they crossed out.
elles aient biffé Elles veulent qu’elles aient biffé. They want they crossed out.

Other Conjugations for Biffer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb biffer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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