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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb décaper

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The English translation of the French verb décaper is “to strip” or “to remove.” It is pronounced “day-kah-peh” in the infinitive form.

The word décaper comes from the Latin word “decapare,” meaning “to take off the head,” and is derived from the prefix “de-” (meaning “off”) and the word “caput” (meaning “head”). In French, it is most commonly used as an transitive verb, meaning it requires a direct object. It is often used to describe the action of removing a layer or coating from a surface, such as paint or varnish.

In the Subjonctif Passé tense, which is used to express past actions that may or may not have happened, décaper becomes décappé. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with their English translations:

  1. J’aurais préféré que tu aies décappé la peinture avant de repeindre. (I would have preferred that you had stripped the paint before repainting.)
  2. Il fallait que nous ayons décappé le bois avant de le vernir. (We needed to have stripped the wood before varnishing it.)
  3. Je doute qu’ils aient décappé le sol avant de poser le nouveau carrelage. (I doubt that they stripped the floor before laying the new tiles.)

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

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

Other Conjugations for Décaper.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb décaper
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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