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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb développer

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The English translation of the French verb développer is “to develop.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “day-vay-lo-pay.”

The word développer comes from the Latin term “dēvolvĕre,” meaning “to unroll.” In everyday French, développer is most often used to refer to the action of making something grow or progress, whether it be a physical object, an idea, or a skill.

In the Subjonctif Passé tense, développer is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain action that has already occurred. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, along with their English translations:

  1. J’espérais qu’il eût développé ses compétences avant l’entretien. (I had hoped that he had developed his skills before the interview.)

  2. Il est possible que nous ayons développé une nouvelle technologie sans le savoir. (It’s possible that we may have developed a new technology without knowing it.)

  3. Je doute que tu aies développé tes photos dans un magasin. (I doubt that you had your photos developed in a store.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aie développé Je ne pense pas que j’aie développé cette idée. I don’t think I developed that idea.
tu aies développé Il est important que tu aies développé tes compétences. It’s important that you have developed your skills.
il ait développé Il est possible qu’il ait développé de nouvelles technologies. It’s possible he developed new technologies.
elle ait développé Elle est convaincue qu’elle ait développé son propre style. She is convinced that she developed her own style.
on ait développé On veut qu’on ait développé de nouvelles stratégies. We want it to have been developed new strategies.
nous ayons développé Nous espérons que nous ayons développé une nouvelle approche. We hope we have developed a new approach.
vous ayez développé Il est essentiel que vous ayez développé une solution adaptée. It’s essential that you have developed an adequate solution.
ils aient développé Ils doutent qu’ils aient développé une vision commune. They doubt they have developed a common vision.
elles aient développé Elles sont contentes qu’elles aient développé une nouvelle méthode. They are happy that they have developed a new method.

Other Conjugations for Développer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb développer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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