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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chiffrer

Get the Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) tense conjugation of chiffrer. 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 chiffrer is “to encrypt” or “to code.” It is pronounced “shee-fray.”

Chiffrer comes from the Latin word “cifrare,” meaning “to calculate” or “to compute.” It entered the French language in the 14th century and originally referred to the use of numbers and symbols in secret writing. Over time, it evolved to encompass the act of encoding or encrypting any type of information.

In everyday French, chiffrer is most often used in the Subjonctif Passé tense to express a past hypothetical or uncertain action. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. Il faut que j’aie chiffré le message avant de l’envoyer. (I had to encrypt the message before sending it.)

  2. Je doute qu’il ait chiffré ses mots de passe. (I doubt that he encrypted his passwords.)

  3. J’aurais préféré que tu aies chiffré le document avant de l’envoyer. (I would have preferred if you had encrypted the document before sending it.)

English translations:

  1. It was necessary for me to encrypt the message before sending it.
  2. I doubt that he encrypted his passwords.
  3. I would have preferred if you had encrypted the document before sending it.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aie chiffré Je doute que j’aie chiffré. I doubt that I encrypted.
tu aies chiffré Il faut que tu aies chiffré. You must have encrypted.
il ait chiffré Il est possible qu’il ait chiffré. It’s possible he encrypted.
elle ait chiffré Elle craint qu’elle ait chiffré. She fears she encrypted.
on ait chiffré On veut qu’on ait chiffré. We want it to have been encrypted.
nous ayons chiffré Espérons que nous ayons chiffré. Let’s hope we encrypted.
vous ayez chiffré Il est important que vous ayez chiffré. It’s important that you encrypted.
ils aient chiffré Ils doutent qu’ils aient chiffré. They doubt they encrypted.
elles aient chiffré Elles préfèrent qu’elles aient chiffré. They prefer they encrypted.

Other Conjugations for Chiffrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chiffrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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 chiffrer Subjonctif Passé tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts