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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb butter

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The English translation of the French verb butter is “to spread butter” or “to butter.” The infinitive form is “beurrer” and it is pronounced as “buh-reh.”

Butter comes from the Latin word “butyrum” which means “cow cheese.” It was originally made from churning cow’s milk and has been used as a staple food in many cultures for centuries. In everyday French, butter is most commonly used in cooking and baking. It is also used as a spread for bread and in sauces.

In the Subjonctif Passé tense, butter is used to express actions that were desired or suggested in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage:

  1. Il faut que tu aies beurré le moule avant de verser la pâte. (You had to butter the mold before pouring the batter.)
  2. Je souhaite que vous ayez beurré les croissants avant de les mettre au four. (I wish you had buttered the croissants before putting them in the oven.)
  3. Elle aurait voulu que nous ayons beurré la poêle avant de faire cuire les crêpes. (She would have liked us to have buttered the pan before cooking the pancakes.)

In everyday French, butter is also commonly used in expressions and idiomatic phrases, such as “être fin comme du beurre” (to be as smooth as butter) or “vendre du beurre aux Bretons” (to sell butter to the Bretons, meaning to try to fool someone who knows better).

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aie beurré Je suis content que j’aie beurré le pain. I’m glad I buttered the bread.
tu aies beurré Il faut que tu aies beurré le pain. You must have buttered the bread.
il ait beurré Il est possible qu’il ait beurré le pain. It’s possible he buttered the bread.
elle ait beurré Elle espère qu’elle ait beurré le pain. She hopes she buttered the bread.
on ait beurré On veut qu’on ait beurré le pain. We want it to have been buttered.
nous ayons beurré Il est préférable que nous ayons beurré le pain. It’s preferable that we buttered the bread.
vous ayez beurré Il est important que vous ayez beurré le pain. It’s important that you buttered the bread.
ils aient beurré Ils doutent qu’ils aient beurré le pain. They doubt they buttered the bread.
elles aient beurré Elles préfèrent qu’elles aient beurré le pain. They prefer they buttered the bread.

Other Conjugations for Butter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb butter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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