In this French grammar lesson you will learn about when to use the subjonctif passé in French.
In this lesson you will learn about:
- when to use the subjunctive in French
- how the subjonctif passé is used in sentences
- how you can quiz yourself on when to use the subjonctif passé
- how you can download the Anki files for when to use the subjonctif passé
Please refer to the French B2 Curriculum to get a better overview of French grammar, if you are curious about how this fits in the overall structure of French B2.
Please also read how to form the subjonctif passé, to find out how you can form it.
By the end of the lesson you will know all about when to use the subjonctif passé!
Table of Contents
When to use the Subjonctif Passé
The same requirements for using the subjonctif présent are also there when it comes to using the subjonctif passé.
However, the only difference is that you use the subjonctif passé to refer to something that has already happened.
se comporter
Louis est choqué qu’elle se soit mal comportée.
Louis is shocked that she misbehaved.
dire
Je crains qu’Arthur n’ait pas dit la vérité.
I am afraid that Arthur has not told the truth.
faire
Nous ne pensons pas que vous ayez fait vos devoirs.
We don’t think that you did your homework.
lire
Je doute que vous ayez lu ma lettre.
I doubt that you have read my letter.
revenir
Nous sommes ravis qu’ils soient revenus.
We are delighted that they have returned.
Please note that in all examples, you are refering to actions that have already been completed.
Example Sentences on When to use the Subjonctif Passé
The final section of this lesson on when to use the subjonctif passé in French is about seeing the subjonctif passé in action.
This is valuable because you can improve your understanding of when to use the subjonctif passé in French through examples.
se comporter
Louis est choqué qu’elle se soit mal comportée.
Louis is shocked that she misbehaved.
dire
Je crains qu’Arthur n’ait pas dit la vérité.
I am afraid that Arthur has not told the truth.
faire
Nous ne pensons pas que vous ayez fait vos devoirs.
We don’t think that you did your homework.
lire
Je doute que vous ayez lu ma lettre.
I doubt that you have read my letter.
revenir
Nous sommes ravis qu’ils soient revenus.
We are delighted that they have returned.
Test Your Knowledge on When to use the Subjonctif Passé
It’s not enough just to read the lesson on this subject.
You should test your knowledge to see if you really understood everything, and to be able to repeat the material.
It is also for this reason that it is recommended to download the Anki Decks and do them.
At the end of every lesson you can do a small test.
You will see the sentences of the previous chapter. It is up to you to give the correct answer.
You will either need to fill in the blanks, choose the correct multiple choice option, or both.
Once you are done the correct answer will be shown.
You can redo the test as many times as you want. There’s no limit to it!
Anki File for When to use the Subjonctif Passé
It is important to do the Anki excercises for this lesson, so that you can remember what you just studied.
By downloading the Anki File for French B2 you can practice every French B2 lesson that is on Language Atlas.
At this moment the Anki File for this lesson doesn’t exist yet. However, in due time this will be available on Language Atlas.
If you don’t know why you should use Anki, or don’t know how to use Anki or merge Anki files please click here.
Anki can be downloaded from here.
