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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb civiliser

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The English translation of the French verb civiliser is “to civilize.” It is pronounced “see-vee-lee-zay.”

The word “civiliser” comes from the Latin word “civilis,” meaning “civil” or “citizen.” It entered the French language in the 16th century and has been used to refer to the process of making someone or something more cultured or refined.

In everyday French, civiliser is most often used in the Subjonctif Passé tense, which is used to express actions that may have taken place in the past but are uncertain or hypothetical. This tense is commonly used in formal or literary writing.

Here are three examples of civiliser used in the Subjonctif Passé tense:

  1. Il est possible que nous ayons civilisé ces tribus autrefois. (It is possible that we may have civilized these tribes in the past.)
  2. J’aurais aimé que vous ayez civilisé ce comportement grossier. (I wish you had civilized this rude behavior.)
  3. Il faudrait que les nations du monde aient civilisé leurs relations pour éviter la guerre. (It would be necessary for the nations of the world to have civilized their relations to avoid war.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Civiliser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb civiliser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Civiliser – 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.

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