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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb empailler

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The English translation of the French verb empailler is “to stuff (an animal) for display.” It is pronounced as “ahm-pie-yay.”

The word “empailler” comes from the Old French word “empaillier,” which is derived from the Latin word “palea,” meaning “straw.” It first appeared in the French language in the 13th century.

In everyday French, empailler is most often used in the Subjonctif Passé tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain action in the past. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the Subjonctif Présent tense followed by the past participle “empaillé.”

Three examples of its usage in this tense are:

  1. Il faut que j’aie empaillé l’oiseau avant la fin de la semaine. (I had to have stuffed the bird before the end of the week.)
  2. Je doute que la taxidermie ait été une bonne idée pour ce chat. (I doubt that taxidermy was a good idea for this cat.)
  3. Il est possible que les animaux aient été empaillés à la perfection. (It is possible that the animals were stuffed to perfection.)

English translations:

  1. It was necessary for me to have stuffed the bird before the end of the week.
  2. I doubt that taxidermy was a good idea for this cat.
  3. It is possible that the animals were stuffed to perfection.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aie empaillé Je n’admets pas que j’aie empaillé. I don’t admit that I stuffed.
tu aies empaillé Il est peu probable que tu aies empaillé. It’s unlikely you stuffed.
il ait empaillé Il est important qu’il ait empaillé. It’s important he stuffed.
elle ait empaillé Elle est contente qu’elle ait empaillé. She is happy she stuffed.
on ait empaillé On est étonné qu’on ait empaillé. We are surprised we stuffed.
nous ayons empaillé Nous sommes heureux que nous ayons empaillé. We are happy we stuffed.
vous ayez empaillé Il est possible que vous ayez empaillé. It’s possible you stuffed.
ils aient empaillé Ils sont en colère qu’ils aient empaillé. They are angry they stuffed.
elles aient empaillé Elles ont peur qu’elles aient empaillé. They are afraid they stuffed.

Other Conjugations for Empailler.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb empailler
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Empailler – 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.

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