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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb détacher

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The English translation of the French verb détacher is “to detach” or “to unfasten.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-tah-shay.”

The word détacher comes from the French word “détache,” which means “detachment.” It is derived from the Latin word “detachare,” which has the same meaning.

In everyday French, détacher is most often used in the Subjonctif Passé tense to express a past possibility or hypothetical situation. This tense is formed by using the subjunctive form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être,” followed by the past participle of détacher.

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

  1. Il faut que tu aies détaché tes chaussures avant d’entrer dans la maison. (You had to have taken off your shoes before entering the house.)
  2. Je souhaite que nous ayons détaché les enfants plus tôt pour qu’ils puissent s’amuser au parc. (I wish we had taken the kids to the park earlier so they could have fun.)
  3. Il est possible qu’elle soit déjà détachée de l’entreprise. (It is possible that she has already detached herself from the company.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aie détaché Je ne suis pas sûr que j’aie détaché le ruban. I’m not sure if I untied the ribbon.
tu aies détaché Je veux que tu aies détaché le papier peint. I want you to have taken off the wallpaper.
il ait détaché Il est possible qu’il ait détaché le chien. It’s possible he unfastened the dog.
elle ait détaché Elle préfère qu’elle ait détaché la photo du mur. She prefers to have unattached the photo from the wall.
on ait détaché On veut qu’il ait détaché la corde. We want him to have untied the rope.
nous ayons détaché Il est important que nous ayons détaché les bateaux. It’s important that we detached the boats.
vous ayez détaché Il est possible que vous ayez détaché vos bagages. It’s possible that you have detached your luggage.
ils aient détaché Ils sont contents qu’ils aient détaché les photos. They are happy they detached the photos.
elles aient détaché Elles doutent qu’elles aient détaché le bracelet. They doubt they detached the bracelet.

Other Conjugations for Détacher.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb détacher
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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