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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb défouler

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The English translation of the French verb défouler is “to let off steam.” The infinitive form, défouler, is pronounced as “day-foo-lay.”

Défouler is derived from the word “fou,” meaning “crazy” or “insane,” and the prefix “de,” which can indicate a reversal or removal of something. It is most often used in every day French in the Subjonctif Passé tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past.

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

  1. J’ai peur que tu te sois défoulé sur lui hier soir. (I’m afraid you may have let off steam on him last night.)

  2. Il est possible que nous nous soyons défoulés en dansant toute la nuit. (It is possible that we let off steam by dancing all night.)

  3. Je doute qu’elle se soit défoulée sur moi à cause de ce malentendu. (I doubt she let off steam on me because of this misunderstanding.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je me sois défoulé Je suis content que je me sois défoulé. I’m glad that I let off steam.
tu te sois défoulé Il faut que tu te sois défoulé. You must have let off steam.
il se soit défoulé Il est possible qu’il se soit défoulé. It’s possible he let off steam.
elle se soit défoulée Elle craint qu’elle se soit défoulée. She fears she let off steam.
on se soit défoulé On veut qu’on se soit défoulé. We want it to have been let off steam.
nous nous soyons défoulés Espérons que nous nous soyons défoulés. Let’s hope we let off steam.
vous vous soyez défoulés Il est important que vous vous soyez défoulés. It’s important that you let off steam.
ils se soient défoulés Ils doutent qu’ils se soient défoulés. They doubt they let off steam.
elles se soient défoulées Elles préfèrent qu’elles se soient défoulées. They prefer they let off steam.

Other Conjugations for Défouler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb défouler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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