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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb rattraper

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The English translation of the French verb rattraper is “to catch up with” or “to make up for.” The infinitive form is pronounced “ra-tra-pay.”

The word rattraper comes from the Latin word “retractare,” meaning “to draw back.” In French, it originally meant “to take back” or “to retrieve.” However, over time, it has come to be used more commonly in the sense of catching up with something or making up for something.

In everyday French, rattraper is often used in the subjonctif présent tense to express a desire or possibility of catching up or making up for something that has been missed or lost.

Examples:

  1. J’espère que tu puisses rattraper ton retard avant la fin de la semaine. (I hope you can catch up on your work before the end of the week.)
  2. Il faut que nous rattrapions le temps perdu en travaillant plus dur. (We need to make up for lost time by working harder.)
  3. Je crains que nous ne puissions pas rattraper notre retard sur les autres équipes. (I’m afraid we won’t be able to catch up with the other teams.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je rattrape Il est important que je rattrape mon retard. It’s important I catch up.
tu rattrapes Je souhaite que tu rattrapes ton travail. I hope you catch up on your work.
il rattrape Il faut qu’il rattrape son équipe. He must catch up with his team.
elle rattrape Elle préfère qu’elle rattrape ses amis. She prefers to catch up with her friends.
on rattrape Il est essentiel qu’on rattrape le temps perdu. It’s essential we make up for lost time.
nous rattrapions Il est préférable que nous rattrapions nos camarades. It’s preferable we catch up with our friends.
vous rattrapiez Il est nécessaire que vous rattrapiez votre retard. It’s necessary you catch up.
ils rattrapent Il est crucial qu’ils rattrapent leur retard. It’s crucial they catch up.
elles rattrapent Il est important qu’elles rattrapent leur retard. It’s important they catch up.

Other Conjugations for Rattraper.

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb rattraper
   

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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