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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bretter

Get the Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) tense conjugation of bretter. 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 bretter is “to board” or “to plank.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “breh-tay.”

The word “bretter” comes from the Old French word “bret,” which means “board” or “plank.” It is typically used in its literal sense, to refer to the action of stepping on or covering something with boards or planks. In everyday French, it is often used in the Subjonctif Passé tense to express a previous action or possibility.

Here are three simple examples of bretter in the Subjonctif Passé tense, with the respective English translations:

  1. Si j’avais bretté cette pièce, elle aurait été plus solide. (If I had boarded this room, it would have been sturdier.)
  2. Il aurait fallu que tu brettes le plancher avant de poser le tapis. (You should have boarded the floor before laying the carpet.)
  3. J’aurais voulu que tu brettes les fenêtres avant l’hiver. (I wish you had boarded the windows before winter.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aie bretté Il est possible que j’aie bretté. It’s possible that I played brett.
tu aies bretté Il est important que tu aies bretté. It’s important that you played brett.
il ait bretté Il est nécessaire qu’il ait bretté. It’s necessary that he played brett.
elle ait bretté Elle veut qu’elle ait bretté. She wants to have played brett.
on ait bretté On préfère qu’on ait bretté. We prefer to have played brett.
nous ayons bretté Il est possible que nous ayons bretté. It’s possible that we played brett.
vous ayez bretté Il est indispensable que vous ayez bretté. It’s essential that you played brett.
ils aient bretté Elle ne croit pas qu’ils aient bretté. She doesn’t believe that they played brett.
elles aient bretté Elles veulent qu’elles aient bretté. They want to have played brett.

Other Conjugations for Bretter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bretter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the bretter Subjonctif Passé tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply