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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb documenter

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The English translation of the French verb documenter is “to document.” It is pronounced “doh-koo-men-tay.”

The word documenter comes from the Latin word documentum, meaning “lesson” or “proof.” It entered the French language in the 16th century and was originally used in legal contexts to refer to written evidence. However, over time, it has taken on a broader meaning and is now commonly used to refer to the act of collecting, organizing, and presenting information in various forms (such as documents, photographs, or videos).

In everyday French, documenter is most often used in the Subjonctif Présent tense to express a wish, possibility, or uncertainty. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Il est important que tu documentes bien tes sources pour ton travail de recherche. (It is important that you document your sources well for your research project.)

  2. Nous devons nous documenter avant de prendre une décision. (We must document ourselves before making a decision.)

  3. J’aimerais que tu documentes notre voyage en prenant des photos et en écrivant un journal. (I would like you to document our trip by taking pictures and writing a journal.)

Table of the Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of documenter

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je documente Il faut que je documente mes recherches. I must document my research.
tu documentes Elle aimerait que tu documentes les informations. She would like you to document the information.
il documente Il est possible qu’il documente les données. It’s possible he documents the data.
elle documente Elle veut que j’elle documente le projet. She wants her to document the project.
on documente Il est important qu’on documente le processus. It’s important we document the process.
nous documentions Il est préférable que nous documentions nos progrès. It’s preferable we document our progress.
vous documentiez Il est nécessaire que vous documentiez les procédures. It’s necessary you document the procedures.
ils documentent Il est essentiel qu’ils documentent leurs expériences. It’s essential they document their experiences.
elles documentent Il est crucial qu’elles documentent les résultats. It’s crucial they document the results.

Other Conjugations for Documenter.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb documenter
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb documenter (this article)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Documenter – About the French Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense

The French Subjonctif Présent, often referred to simply as the “subjunctive mood,” is a verb tense used to express doubt, uncertainty, subjectivity, and emotions. It is not used to describe actions or facts that are considered certain or objective. Here, I will explain the Subjonctif Présent tense, its common everyday usage patterns, and how it interacts with other tenses in French.
NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation of the Subjonctif Présent

To form the Subjonctif Présent tense for regular verbs, you typically follow these rules

1. Start with the third-person plural (ils/elles) form of the present tense of the verb.
2. Remove the -ent ending.
3. Add the appropriate endings for each verb group:
   – For -er verbs: e, es, e, ions, iez, ent.
   – For -ir verbs: e, es, e, issions, issiez, issent.
   – For -re verbs: e, es, e, ions, iez, ent.

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

1. Expressing Uncertainty and Doubt. The Subjonctif Présent is commonly used to express uncertainty, doubt, or subjective feelings. For example:
   – Je doute qu’il vienne. (I doubt he is coming.)
   – Il est possible que nous ayons des problèmes. (It is possible that we will have problems.)

2. Emotions and Desires. You use the subjunctive to express emotions, desires, hopes, and wishes.
   – Je veux que tu sois heureux. (I want you to be happy.)
   – J’aimerais que vous veniez à la fête. (I would like you to come to the party.)

3. Impersonal Expressions. Some impersonal expressions require the Subjonctif Présent, such as “il est important que” (it is important that), “il est nécessaire que” (it is necessary that), or “il faut que” (it is necessary that).
   – Il est nécessaire que nous partions. (It is necessary that we leave.)

4. Expressions of Possibility and Hypothesis. Subjunctive can be used to express possibilities and hypotheses:
   – Si j’étais riche, je voyagerais. (If I were rich, I would travel.)

Interactions with Other Tenses

The Subjonctif Présent can interact with other tenses in various ways:

1. Present Subjunctive with Present Indicative. Often, the Subjonctif Présent is used alongside the present indicative to express a contrast between certainty and uncertainty. For example:
   – Il est sûr que tu viens. (It’s certain that you are coming.)
   – Il est possible que tu viennes. (It’s possible that you are coming.)

2. Past Subjunctive with Past Indicative. The Subjonctif Passé is used in conjunction with past indicative tenses to express doubt, uncertainty, or emotion about past actions or events.
   – J’étais triste qu’il soit parti. (I was sad that he had left.)

3. Future Subjunctive with Future Indicative. The Subjonctif Futur can be used with future indicative tenses to express doubt or uncertainty about future actions.
   – J’espère qu’il viendra. (I hope he will come.)

4. Conditional and Subjunctive. The Subjonctif Présent is often used with the conditional mood to express hypothetical or unreal situations.
   – Si j’avais de l’argent, je voyagerais. (If I had money, I would travel.)

Summary

The Subjonctif Présent is a mood used to convey uncertainty, doubt, emotions, and desires. It interacts with other tenses in French to create a wide range of nuanced expressions in both everyday conversation and more complex contexts.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb documenter. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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