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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb désister

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The English translation of the French verb désister is “to withdraw” or “to give up.” It is pronounced “day-see-stay.”

The word désister comes from the Latin word “desistere,” meaning “to stand back” or “to desist.” In everyday French, it is most often used in the Subjonctif Passé tense, which is used to express actions or events that are uncertain or hypothetical in the past.

Here are three examples of désister in the Subjonctif Passé tense:

  1. J’espère qu’il a désisté de son projet de partir en vacances. (I hope he withdrew from his plan to go on vacation.)
  2. Elle doute qu’ils aient désisté de l’achat de la maison. (She doubts they gave up on buying the house.)
  3. Il est possible qu’ils aient désisté en raison des coûts élevés. (It is possible that they withdrew due to the high costs.)

In these examples, the Subjonctif Passé tense is used to express uncertainty about the actions of others. The verb désister is often used in legal or formal contexts, such as withdrawing from a contract or renouncing a claim.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je me sois désisté Je suis content que je me sois désisté. I’m glad I withdrew.
tu te sois désisté Il est important que tu te sois désisté. It’s important that you withdrew.
il se soit désisté Il est possible qu’il se soit désisté. It’s possible he withdrew.
elle se soit désistée Elle espère qu’elle se soit désistée. She hopes she withdrew.
on se soit désisté On veut qu’on se soit désisté. We want it to have been withdrawn.
nous nous soyons désistés Il est préférable que nous nous soyons désistés. It’s preferable that we withdrew.
vous vous soyez désistés Il est important que vous vous soyez désistés. It’s important that you withdrew.
ils se soient désistés Ils sont fiers qu’ils se soient désistés. They’re proud they withdrew.
elles se soient désistées Elles sont déçues qu’elles se soient désistées. They’re disappointed they withdrew.

Other Conjugations for Désister.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb désister
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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