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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb défier

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The English translation of the French verb défier is “to challenge” or “to defy.” It is pronounced as “day-fee-ay” in its infinitive form.

Défier comes from the Latin word “diffidere” meaning “to distrust.” It entered the French language in the 12th century and has been used in various contexts throughout history. In modern French, it is most often used in everyday speech in the Subjonctif Passé tense, which expresses an action that could have or should have happened in the past.

Examples:

  1. J’ai peur qu’il ait défie les règles du jeu. (I’m afraid he challenged the rules of the game.)
  2. Il est possible que nous ayons défié les autorités en manifestant. (It’s possible that we defied the authorities by protesting.)
  3. Je regrette que tu aies défie mon autorité devant les enfants. (I regret that you defied my authority in front of the children.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aie défié Je suis content que j’aie défié. I am glad that I defied.
tu aies défié Sois sûr que tu aies défié. Be sure that you defied.
il ait défié Il est nécessaire qu’il ait défié. It’s necessary that he defied.
elle ait défié Elle ne pense pas qu’elle ait défié. She doesn’t think she defied.
on ait défié On espère qu’on ait défié. We hope we defied.
nous ayons défié J’espère que nous ayons défié. I hope we defied.
vous ayez défié Il est important que vous ayez défié. It’s important that you defied.
ils aient défié Ils croient qu’ils aient défié. They believe they defied.
elles aient défié Elles souhaitent qu’elles aient défié. They wish they defied.

Other Conjugations for Défier.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défier
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Défier – 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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