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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb compasser

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The English translation of the French verb compasser is “to compass” or “to measure”. It is pronounced as “kohm-pah-seh”.

The verb compasser comes from the Latin word “compassare”, meaning “to measure”. It is most often used in everyday French in the Subjonctif Passé tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action that has already happened.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with the respective English translations, are:

  1. Il est possible que j’aie compassé les dimensions avant de couper le tissu.
    Translation: It is possible that I measured the dimensions before cutting the fabric.

  2. Je doute que tu aies bien compassé les angles pour cette construction.
    Translation: I doubt that you measured the angles correctly for this construction.

  3. Il était nécessaire que nous ayons compassé les distances pour éviter de nous perdre.
    Translation: It was necessary for us to measure the distances to avoid getting lost.

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

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

Other Conjugations for Compasser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb compasser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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