The four subjunctive tenses in French (présent, passé, imparfait, and plus-que-parfait) share some similarities with other tenses in French, particularly in terms of formation and usage. Here’s a breakdown of the similarities:
1. Présent Subjonctif vs. Présent Indicatif
- Formation: The present subjunctive is formed by taking the third-person plural (ils/elles) form of the present indicative, dropping the -ent, and adding the subjunctive endings (-e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent).
- Example: Parler
- Présent Indicatif: Ils parlent (They speak)
- Présent Subjonctif: que je parle (that I speak)
- Similarity: Both are used to express present actions, but the subjunctive is typically used in subordinate clauses that express doubt, emotion, necessity, or uncertainty.
2. Passé Subjonctif vs. Passé Composé
- Formation: The passé subjunctif is formed using the present subjunctive of the auxiliary verb (avoir or être) followed by the past participle of the main verb, similar to how the passé composé is formed using the present indicative of the auxiliary verb.
- Example: Finir
- Passé Composé: J’ai fini (I finished)
- Passé Subjonctif: que j’aie fini (that I have finished)
- Similarity: Both tenses express completed actions, but the subjunctive is used when the action is connected to the expressions of doubt, emotion, or necessity.
3. Imparfait Subjonctif vs. Imparfait Indicatif
- Formation: The imparfait subjunctive is formed by taking the third-person singular (il/elle/on) form of the passé simple, dropping the final -t, and adding the imparfait subjunctive endings (-se, -ses, -̂t, -sions, -siez, -ssent).
- Example: Faire
- Imparfait Indicatif: Je faisais (I was doing)
- Imparfait Subjonctif: que je fisse (that I did)
- Similarity: Both tenses describe past actions, but the subjunctive version is used in literary or formal contexts where doubt or hypothetical situations are expressed.
4. Plus-que-parfait Subjonctif vs. Plus-que-parfait Indicatif
- Formation: The plus-que-parfait subjunctive is formed by using the imperfect subjunctive of the auxiliary verb (avoir or être) followed by the past participle of the main verb. The plus-que-parfait indicative is similarly formed but uses the imperfect indicative of the auxiliary verb.
- Example: Aller
- Plus-que-parfait Indicatif: J’étais allé (I had gone)
- Plus-que-parfait Subjonctif: que je fusse allé (that I had gone)
- Similarity: Both express an action that occurred before another past action, but the subjunctive is used in formal writing or in hypothetical situations.
Summary of Similarities:
- Structure: The subjunctive tenses often mirror the structure of their indicative counterparts but with specific endings or auxiliary verb forms unique to the subjunctive mood.
- Usage: While the indicative tenses are used to state facts or actions, the subjunctive is used to express emotions, doubts, wishes, or hypothetical situations. Both are integral to conveying time and mood in French.