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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb boycotter

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The English translation of the French verb boycotter is “to boycott.” It is pronounced as “bwah-koh-tay” in the infinitive form.

Boycotter is derived from the English name of Irish landlord Charles Boycott, who was famously ostracized by his Irish community in 1880 due to his unfair treatment of his tenants. The verb entered the French language in the late 19th century and has since become a common term for a form of protest or resistance against a person, organization, or product.

In everyday French, boycotter is most often used in the Subjonctif Passé tense, which is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the present subjunctive form followed by the past participle of boycotter (boycotté).

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with the respective English translations:

  1. Nous avons boycotté l’entreprise qui utilise du travail forcé à l’étranger. (We boycotted the company that uses forced labor abroad.)
  2. Il est temps que vous ayez boycotté ces produits polluants. (It’s time for you to have boycotted these polluting products.)
  3. J’aurais boycotté cet événement s’il n’y avait pas eu de mesures de sécurité adéquates. (I would have boycotted this event if there had not been adequate security measures.)

Overall, boycotter in the Subjonctif Passé tense is used to express an action that has already happened in the past, but with a sense of possibility, doubt, or uncertainty. It is often used in discussions about social and political movements, consumer choices, and ethical considerations.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aie boycotté Il est possible que j’aie boycotté. It’s possible I boycotted.
tu aies boycotté Il faut que tu aies boycotté. You must have boycotted.
il ait boycotté Il est improbable qu’il ait boycotté. It’s unlikely he boycotted.
elle ait boycotté Elle refuse qu’elle ait boycotté. She refuses she boycotted.
on ait boycotté Il est impossible qu’on ait boycotté. It’s impossible we boycotted.
nous ayons boycotté Il est important que nous ayons boycotté. It’s important we boycotted.
vous ayez boycotté Il est essentiel que vous ayez boycotté. It’s essential you boycotted.
ils aient boycotté Ils souhaitent qu’ils aient boycotté. They wish they boycotted.
elles aient boycotté Elles préfèrent qu’elles aient boycotté. They prefer they boycotted.

Other Conjugations for Boycotter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb boycotter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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