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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb démontrer

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The English translation of the French verb démontrer is “to demonstrate” or “to show.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-mon-tray.”

The word démontrer comes from the Latin word demonstrare, which means “to point out” or “to show.” In French, it is most commonly used to mean “to prove” or “to illustrate.” It can also be used to express the idea of “showing” or “demonstrating” something physically.

In the Subjonctif Passé tense, démontrer is used to express a past action or event that is uncertain or hypothetical. It is often used in conjunction with the conjunction “que,” which means “that,” to introduce a subordinate clause.

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

  1. Il est possible que tu aies démontré ta capacité d’adaptation lors de cette situation difficile. (It is possible that you demonstrated your adaptability during this difficult situation.)

  2. J’ai peur qu’il n’ait pas démontré suffisamment d’enthousiasme pour le projet. (I am afraid that he did not show enough enthusiasm for the project.)

  3. Nous sommes ravis que vous ayez démontré un tel talent lors de votre audition. (We are delighted that you showed such talent during your audition.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aie démontré Je suis content que j’aie démontré mes compétences. I’m glad I demonstrated my skills.
tu aies démontré Tu espères que tu aies démontré ton engagement. You hope you demonstrated your commitment.
il ait démontré Il est étonné que tu ait démontré cette théorie. He is surprised that you demonstrated this theory.
elle ait démontré Elle n’est pas sûre qu’elle ait démontré ses talents. She’s not sure she demonstrated her talents.
on ait démontré On doute qu’on ait démontré leur innocence. We doubt they demonstrated their innocence.
nous ayons démontré Nous sommes fiers que nous ayons démontré notre efficacité. We are proud that we demonstrated our effectiveness.
vous ayez démontré Vous voulez que vous ayez démontré vos compétences. You want to have demonstrated your skills.
ils aient démontré Ils sont heureux qu’ils aient démontré leur soutien. They are happy that they demonstrated their support.
elles aient démontré Elles sont sûres qu’elles aient démontré leur valeur. They are confident that they demonstrated their worth.

Other Conjugations for Démontrer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb démontrer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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