Le Subjonctif Passé Flashcards
How is le subjonctif passé expressed in English?
How is le subjonctif passé constructed?
présent subjonctif of avoir/être + le participe passé of the main verb
What does le subjonctif passé express?
Emphasizes the subjectivity of a sentence. Expresses possibilities, hypotheses, feelings, thoughts, wishes, doubts, uncertainty, or advice.
J’ai regretté que **j’eusse délaissé **mes amis pendant cette période difficile.
I regretted that I had neglected my friends during that difficult period.
délaisser: to abandon, to neglect, to give up; to stop taking care of something or someone, or to set something aside.
Note: délaisser is somewhat formal. In casual conversation, one is more likely to hear:
- “abandonner” (most neutral replacement)
- “lâcher” (more casual, almost dismissive leaving of something)
- “laisser tomber” (very colloquial, literally “to drop”, used like “to give up on” or “stop caring about”).
Il était surpris que tu eusses courbé les règles sans hésitation.
He was surprised that you had bent the rules without hesitation.
courber: to bend, to curve
Elle a été déçue que son frère eût contrarie ses plans.
She was disappointed that her brother had thwarted her plans.
contrarier: to upset, to annoy, to hinder; can mean to bother someone emotionally or to block/prevent something from happening.
Note: contrarier is somewhat formal. In casual conversation, one is more likely to hear:
- “Déranger” (to disturb or inconvenience)
- “Embêter” (milder, meaning to annoy or bother)
- “Faire chier” (very informal [almost vulgar], meaning to really irritate someone)
Nous étions soulagés que nous eussions rattrapé le temps perdu.
We were relieved that we had caught up on lost time.
rattraper: to catch up, to make up for, to grab again; can refer to catching up with someone/something, making up for lost time, or grabbing something that was slipping away.
Ils ont compris que vous eussiez éprouvé tant de difficultés.
They understood that you had experienced so many difficulties.
éprouver: to feel, to experience, to test; can refer to emotions, physical sensations, or putting something to the test.
L’entreprise a été heureuse qu’elles eussent embauché un nouveau talent.
The company was happy that they had hired a new talent.
embaucher: to hire, to employ; used for hiring someone for a job.
J’ai insisté que j’eusse tenu ma promesse malgré les obstacles.
I insisted that I had kept my promise despite the obstacles.
tenir: to hold, to keep, to be attached to; can mean physically holding something, keeping a promise, or being emotionally attached to something.
On était surpris que tu eusses tari toutes les sources d’information.
One was surprised that you had dried up all sources of information.
tarir: to dry up, to run out; often used for water sources, resources, or even patience/emotions.
Elle a été soulagée qu’il eût nanti sa famille avant son départ.
She was relieved that he had provided for his family before leaving.
nantir: to provide, to equip, to furnish; to endow someone with something
Note: “nantir” is somewhat formal. In casual conversation, one is more likely to hear:
- “Pourvoir” (the most standard replacement)
- “Donner les moyens” (“to give the means” or “to provide resources”)
- “Aider” (the simplest, just meaning “to help”)
Nous avons été fiers que nous eussions maintenu notre position.
We were proud that we had maintained our position.
maintenir: to maintain, to keep up, to uphold; can refer to keeping something in a certain state, holding physically, or enforcing a rule.
Ils ont apprécié que vous eussiez garanti leur sécurité.
They appreciated that you (pl.) had guaranteed their safety.
garantir: to guarantee, to assure; to ensure something will happen or that something is of a certain quality.
Le propriétaire a été furieux qu’elles eussent envahi son espace privé.
The owner was furious that they had invaded his private space.
envahir: to invade, to overwhelm, to overrun; can be used literally (military invasion) or figuratively (overwhelming emotions, crowds, etc.).
J’ai été ému que j’eusse étreint mon ami après tant d’années.
I was moved that I had embraced my friend after so many years.
étreindre: to hug, to embrace
Note: “étreindre” is somewhat formal. In casual conversation, one is more likely to hear:
- “Serrer dans ses bras” (most common, natural way to say “to hug”)
- “Faire un câlin” (very tender, often used with children)
Il a remarqué que tu eusses distrait tout le monde pendant la réunion.
He noticed that you had distracted everyone during the meeting.
distraire: to distract, to entertain; can mean making someone lose focus or providing entertainment.
Elle a apprécié qu’il eût détendu l’atmosphère tendue.
She appreciated that he had relaxed the tense atmosphere.
détendre: to relax, to loosen, to ease tension; used for physical relaxation or easing stress.
Nous avons été soulagés que nous eussions souscrit à l’assurance.
We were relieved that we had subscribed to the insurance.
souscrire: to subscribe, to sign up for, to agree to; can mean subscribing to a service, signing up for something, or agreeing to an idea.
Ils ont été surpris que vous vous fussiez épris de l’art moderne.
They were surprised that you had fallen in love with modern art.
s’éprendre de: to fall in love with, to become infatuated with; a somewhat poetic/literary way of saying “to fall in love.”
Le directeur a été content qu’ils eussent repris le projet.
The director was happy that they had resumed the project.
reprendre: to resume, to take back, to recover; can mean continuing something after a break, reclaiming something, or regaining strength.
