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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb payer

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The English translation of the French verb payer is “to pay.” The infinitive form of payer is pronounced as “pay-ay.”

Payer comes from the Latin word “pacare,” which means “to appease” or “to pacify.” It entered the French language in the 12th century and originally referred to the act of settling a debt or making a payment. Over time, it has evolved to encompass a broader meaning of any type of transaction or exchange involving money.

In everyday French, payer is most often used in the Subjonctif Présent tense to express a wish, desire, or possibility. It is often used after verbs such as “vouloir” (to want) or “désirer” (to desire) to indicate what someone wants or wishes to pay for. It can also be used after verbs of emotion, such as “aimer” (to love) or “craindre” (to fear), to express what someone is afraid or hoping to pay for.

Examples:

  1. Il faut que je paie mes dettes. (I have to pay my debts.)
  2. Elle préfère que nous payions en espèces. (She prefers that we pay in cash.)
  3. J’ai peur qu’ils ne puissent pas payer leur loyer. (I’m afraid they won’t be able to pay their rent.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je paie Je veux que je paie mes dettes. I want to pay my debts.
tu paies Il faut que tu paies ta part. You must pay your share.
il paie Il est important qu’il paie ses factures. It’s important he pays his bills.
elle paie Elle veut que j’elle paie. She wants her to pay.
on paie Il est nécessaire qu’on paie nos dépenses. It’s necessary we pay our expenses.
nous payions Il est préférable que nous payions en liquide. It’s preferable we pay in cash.
vous payiez Il est crucial que vous payiez à temps. It’s crucial you pay on time.
ils paient Il est possible qu’ils paient en plusieurs fois. It’s possible they pay in installments.
elles paient Il est essentiel qu’elles paient tout de suite. It’s essential they pay right away.

Other Conjugations for Payer.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb payer
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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