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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cohabiter

Get the Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) tense conjugation of cohabiter. 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 cohabiter is “to cohabit” or “to live together.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “ko-a-bee-tey.”

The word cohabiter has Latin origins, coming from the prefix “co-” meaning “together” and the verb “habitare” meaning “to inhabit.” In everyday French, cohabiter is most often used in the Subjonctif Passé tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action that took place in the past.

Three simple examples of cohabiter being used in the Subjonctif Passé tense are:

  1. Nous avons souhaité que nos amis cohabitent pendant leur séjour en France. (We wished for our friends to live together during their stay in France.)
  2. Il était important que les animaux cohabitent pacifiquement dans le zoo. (It was important for the animals to coexist peacefully in the zoo.)
  3. Je suis contente que mes parents aient cohabité avant de se marier. (I am happy that my parents lived together before getting married.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aie cohabité Je suis contente que j’aie cohabité avec toi. I’m happy that I lived with you.
tu aies cohabité Elle veut que tu aies cohabité avec elle. She wants you to have lived with her.
il ait cohabité Il est possible qu’il ait cohabité avec ses parents. It’s possible he lived with his parents.
elle ait cohabité Elle est surprise qu’elle ait cohabité avec lui. She’s surprised that she lived with him.
on ait cohabité On espère qu’on ait cohabité en paix. We hope we lived together peacefully.
nous ayons cohabité Nous sommes heureux que nous ayons cohabité ensemble. We’re happy that we lived together.
vous ayez cohabité Je souhaite que vous ayez cohabité avec moi. I wish you had lived with me.
ils aient cohabité Ils doutent qu’ils aient cohabité longtemps. They doubt they lived together for a long time.
elles aient cohabité Elles préfèrent qu’elles aient cohabité dans un grand appartement. They prefer that they lived together in a big apartment.

Other Conjugations for Cohabiter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cohabiter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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 cohabiter Subjonctif Passé tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts