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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb complimenter

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The English translation of the French verb complimenter is “to compliment.” It is pronounced “kohm-plee-mon-tey” in its infinitive form.

Complimenter comes from the Latin word “complimentum,” meaning “completion” or “accomplishment,” and ultimately from the verb “complere,” meaning “to fill up.” In French, it is most commonly used in its present tense form “je complimente” to mean “I compliment.”

In the Subjonctif Passé tense, complimenter is used to express a compliment that was made in the past, usually in a hypothetical or uncertain situation. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense:

  1. Je suis contente que tu me complimenteras sur ma tenue. (I am happy that you will have complimented me on my outfit.)
  2. Il faut que je te complimente pour ton travail acharné. (I must compliment you for your hard work.)
  3. J’aurais aimé que tu me complimenterais sur mon discours. (I would have liked for you to have complimented me on my speech.)

English translations:

  1. I am happy that you will have complimented me on my outfit.
  2. I must compliment you for your hard work.
  3. I would have liked for you to have complimented me on my speech.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aie complimenté Je suis heureux que j’aie complimenté. I’m glad I complimented.
tu aies complimenté Il est possible que tu aies complimenté. It’s possible you complimented.
il ait complimenté Il est important qu’il ait complimenté. It’s important he complimented.
elle ait complimenté Elle n’aime pas qu’elle ait complimenté. She doesn’t like that she complimented.
on ait complimenté On veut qu’on ait complimenté. We want it to have been complimented.
nous ayons complimenté Il faut que nous ayons complimenté. We must have complimented.
vous ayez complimenté Vous êtes fier que vous ayez complimenté. You’re proud you complimented.
ils aient complimenté Ils sont contents qu’ils aient complimenté. They’re happy they complimented.
elles aient complimenté Elles sont reconnaissantes qu’elles aient complimenté. They are grateful they complimented.

Other Conjugations for Complimenter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb complimenter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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