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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cumuler

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The English translation of the French verb cumuler is “to accumulate” or “to combine.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “koo-moo-lay.”

The word “cumuler” comes from the Latin verb “cumulare,” meaning “to pile up” or “to heap.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Passé tense, which is a subjunctive mood used for actions or events that are uncertain or hypothetical.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in the Subjonctif Passé tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Il est temps que nous ayons cumulé assez d’argent pour partir en vacances. (It’s time for us to have accumulated enough money to go on vacation.)
  2. J’aimerais que tu aies cumulé assez de connaissances pour réussir cet examen. (I would like you to have accumulated enough knowledge to pass this exam.)
  3. Il faut que les élèves aient cumulé au moins 100 heures de service communautaire pour obtenir leur diplôme. (The students must have accumulated at least 100 hours of community service to receive their diploma.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aie cumulé J’espère que j’aie cumulé. I hope I have accumulated.
tu aies cumulé Il est nécessaire que tu aies cumulé. It’s necessary that you have accumulated.
il ait cumulé Il faut qu’il ait cumulé. He must have accumulated.
elle ait cumulé Elle veut qu’elle ait cumulé. She wants her to have accumulated.
on ait cumulé On souhaite qu’on ait cumulé. We wish we had accumulated.
nous ayons cumulé Nous sommes contents que nous ayons cumulé. We are happy that we have accumulated.
vous ayez cumulé Je suis convaincu que vous ayez cumulé. I am convinced that you have accumulated.
ils aient cumulé Ils doutent qu’ils aient cumulé. They doubt they have accumulated.
elles aient cumulé Elles veulent qu’elles aient cumulé. They want them to have accumulated.

Other Conjugations for Cumuler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cumuler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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