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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb défenestrer

Get the Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) tense conjugation of défenestrer. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb défenestrer is “to throw out of a window.” It is pronounced as day-fen-es-tray.

Défenestrer comes from the French word “fenêtre,” meaning window, and the prefix “de-” which indicates a reversal or removal. It was first used in the late 16th century to describe the act of throwing someone out of a window, usually as a form of punishment or revenge.

In everyday French, défenestrer is most often used in the Subjonctif Passé tense to express a hypothetical or unreal action in the past. This tense is formed by combining the subjunctive form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” with the past participle of défenestrer.

Here are three examples of défenestrer used in the Subjonctif Passé tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Il est possible que je l’aie défenestré pendant notre dispute. (It is possible that I threw him out of the window during our argument.)

  2. J’aurais préféré que vous n’ayez pas défenestré cette belle plante. (I would have preferred if you hadn’t thrown out this beautiful plant.)

  3. Je doute qu’ils aient défenestré leur chat par accident. (I doubt they accidentally threw their cat out of the window.)

In all of these examples, défenestrer is used to describe an unreal or hypothetical action in the past. It is often used in a dramatic or exaggerated way to express frustration, anger, or disbelief.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aie défenestré Je suis surpris que j’aie défenestré. I’m surprised that I threw out of the window.
tu aies défenestré Je veux que tu aies défenestré. I want you to have thrown out of the window.
il ait défenestré Il est possible qu’il ait défenestré. It’s possible he threw out of the window.
elle ait défenestré Elle est désolée qu’elle ait défenestré. She’s sorry she threw out of the window.
on ait défenestré On espère qu’on ait défenestré. We hope we threw out of the window.
nous ayons défenestré Je ne pense pas que nous ayons défenestré. I don’t think we threw out of the window.
vous ayez défenestré Il faut que vous ayez défenestré. You must have thrown out of the window.
ils aient défenestré Ils doutent qu’ils aient défenestré. They doubt they threw out of the window.
elles aient défenestré Elles sont contentes qu’elles aient défenestré. They’re glad they threw out of the window.

Other Conjugations for Défenestrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défenestrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the défenestrer Subjonctif Passé tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts