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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb débourser

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The English translation of the French verb débourser is “to pay out” or “to spend.” It is pronounced as “day-boor-say” in its infinitive form.

Débourser comes from the Old French word “desborser,” which meant “to unseal a purse” or “to take out money.” It is derived from the Latin word “disbursare,” which also means “to take out money.”

In everyday French, débourser is most often used in the Subjonctif Passé tense, which is used to express actions that are uncertain or hypothetical in the past. It is often used in formal or legal contexts when discussing financial matters.

Examples of débourser in Subjonctif Passé tense:

  1. J’espère que vous avez bien déboursé les frais de scolarité avant la date limite. (I hope you paid the tuition fees before the deadline.)

  2. Il est possible que nous ayons déboursé trop d’argent pour cette rénovation. (It is possible that we spent too much money on this renovation.)

  3. Le syndicat a exigé que les employés aient déboursé leur cotisation avant la fin du mois. (The union demanded that employees pay their dues before the end of the month.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aie déboursé Je ne crois pas que j’aie déboursé assez d’argent. I don’t think I spent enough money.
tu aies déboursé Il est possible que tu aies déboursé trop d’argent. It’s possible you spent too much money.
il ait déboursé Il faut qu’il ait déboursé pour sa voiture. He must have paid for his car.
elle ait déboursé Elle a peur qu’elle ait déboursé trop pour son voyage. She’s afraid she spent too much on her trip.
on ait déboursé On espère qu’on ait déboursé une somme raisonnable. We hope we spent a reasonable amount.
nous ayons déboursé Nous sommes contents que nous ayons déboursé pour l’événement. We’re happy we paid for the event.
vous ayez déboursé Il est important que vous ayez déboursé pour votre éducation. It’s important that you paid for your education.
ils aient déboursé Je doute qu’ils aient déboursé autant d’argent. I doubt they spent as much money.
elles aient déboursé Elles veulent qu’elles aient déboursé pour leur nouvelle maison. They want to have spent on their new house.

Other Conjugations for Débourser.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb débourser
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Débourser – 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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