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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb caracoler

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The English translation of the French verb caracoler is “to prance” or “to strut.” It is pronounced “ka-ra-ko-leh.”

Caracoler comes from the French word caracole, meaning “caper” or “leap.” It can also refer to a type of dance step or movement in equestrian dressage.

In everyday French, caracoler is most often used in the Subjonctif Passé tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action that has already happened. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with the respective English translations:

  1. J’espérais que mon cheval ait caracolé avec grâce lors de la compétition. (I was hoping that my horse had pranced gracefully during the competition.)

  2. Nous souhaitons que ces danseurs aient caracolé sur la scène comme des professionnels. (We hope that these dancers had pranced on stage like professionals.)

  3. Il est dommage que tu n’aies pas vu le cheval caracoler dans le champ. (It’s a shame that you didn’t see the horse prancing in the field.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aie caracolé Je souhaiterais que j’aie caracolé. I wish I had pranced.
tu aies caracolé Il semble que tu aies caracolé. It seems you pranced.
il ait caracolé Il a peur qu’il ait caracolé. He’s afraid he pranced.
elle ait caracolé Elle pense qu’elle ait caracolé. She thinks she pranced.
on ait caracolé On aimerait qu’on ait caracolé. We’d like it if we had pranced.
nous ayons caracolé J’espère que nous ayons caracolé. I hope we pranced.
vous ayez caracolé Je suis content que vous ayez caracolé. I’m glad you pranced.
ils aient caracolé Ils ont besoin qu’ils aient caracolé. They need to have pranced.
elles aient caracolé Elles espèrent qu’elles aient caracolé. They hope they pranced.

Other Conjugations for Caracoler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caracoler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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