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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb border

Get the Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) tense conjugation of border. 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 border is “to border” or “to be next to.” It is pronounced as /bɔʁde/ in its infinitive form.

The word “border” comes from the French word “bordure,” which means “border” or “edge.” It can also be traced back to the Latin word “borda,” meaning “side of a ship.” In everyday French, the verb border is most commonly used in the Subjonctif Passé tense, which expresses a past action or state that is uncertain or hypothetical.

Here are three simple examples of how border is used in the Subjonctif Passé tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Il est possible que la rivière ait bordé le champ. (It is possible that the river bordered the field.)
  2. Je doute que la forêt ait bordé la ville autrefois. (I doubt that the forest bordered the city in the past.)
  3. Il est peu probable que le lac ait bordé la montagne. (It is unlikely that the lake bordered the mountain.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aie bordé Je doute que j’aie bordé le bateau. I doubt that I bordered the boat.
tu aies bordé Il faut que tu aies bordé la fenêtre. You must have closed the window.
il ait bordé Il est possible qu’il ait bordé la clôture. It’s possible he bordered the fence.
elle ait bordé Elle craint qu’elle ait bordé la robe. She fears she edged the dress.
on ait bordé On veut qu’on ait bordé les cheveux. We want it to have been lined up the hair.
nous ayons bordé Espérons que nous ayons bordé les murs. Let’s hope we lined the walls.
vous ayez bordé Il est important que vous ayez bordé les draps. It’s important that you made the bed.
ils aient bordé Ils doutent qu’ils aient bordé la table. They doubt they edged the table.
elles aient bordé Elles préfèrent qu’elles aient bordé le tapis. They prefer they lined the carpet.

Other Conjugations for Border.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb border
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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