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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb défoncer

Get the Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) tense conjugation of défoncer. 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 défoncer is “to smash” or “to break open.” It is pronounced as “deh-fon-say.”

The word défoncer originates from the Latin word “defundere” meaning “to pour out” or “to break open.” It evolved in Old French as “defoncier” in the 12th century, meaning “to smash.” In modern French, it is primarily used to describe the action of breaking or damaging something.

In the Subjonctif Passé tense, défoncer is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action that took place in the past. It is often used in a similar way as the English past subjunctive, and is commonly paired with the conjunction “que.”

Here are three simple examples of défoncer in the Subjonctif Passé tense:

  1. Il est possible que j’aie défoncé la porte. (It is possible that I smashed the door.)
  2. Je suis contente que tu aies défoncé cette vieille voiture. (I am glad that you broke that old car.)
  3. Je doute qu’il ait défoncé la vitrine intentionnellement. (I doubt that he intentionally smashed the window.)

Note that in these examples, “défoncer” is conjugated in the first, second, and third person singular form for the respective subject pronouns “je,” “tu,” and “il/elle.” In the Subjonctif Passé tense, the verb always ends in “-é” and is preceded by the appropriate auxiliary verb (avoir or être).

In summary, défoncer is a versatile verb that is commonly used in everyday French to describe the action of breaking or damaging something. In the Subjonctif Passé tense, it is used to express a past action that is uncertain or hypothetical.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aie défoncé Je voudrais que j’aie défoncé. I wish I had broken.
tu aies défoncé Je suis certain que tu aies défoncé. I am certain you broke.
il ait défoncé Il est probable qu’il ait défoncé. It’s likely he broke.
elle ait défoncé Elle souhaite qu’elle ait défoncé. She wishes she broke.
on ait défoncé On pense qu’on ait défoncé. We think we broke.
nous ayons défoncé Espérons que nous ayons défoncé. Let’s hope we broke.
vous ayez défoncé Il est important que vous ayez défoncé. It’s important that you broke.
ils aient défoncé Ils regrettent qu’ils aient défoncé. They regret they broke.
elles aient défoncé Elles préfèrent qu’elles aient défoncé. They prefer they broke.

Other Conjugations for Défoncer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défoncer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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 défoncer Subjonctif Passé tense conjugation!

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

Similar Posts