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Une fois que la recrue a désamorcé la bombe, le compte à rebours s'arrête.

Une fois que la recrue a désamorcé la bombe, le compte à rebours s'arrête.
Once the rookie has defused the bomb, the countdown stops.
From Lesson 469:Completed actions (une fois que)·French

Questions & Answers about Une fois que la recrue a désamorcé la bombe, le compte à rebours s'arrête.

Why use the passé composé (a désamorcé) here when the rest of the sentence is in the present tense (s'arrête)?
The phrase une fois que shows that an action must be completely finished before the next one can happen. Since the main action (s'arrête) is in the present tense, French uses the passé composé for the earlier action to emphasize that the defusing is a completed fact before the stopping occurs.
Could we use the subjunctive after une fois que in this sentence?
No, une fois que is always followed by the indicative mood. Unlike avant que (which takes the subjunctive because the action is still uncertain or pending), une fois que describes an event that is treated as a completed, established reality.
If the rookie is male, would we say le recrue?
No, une recrue is a strictly feminine noun. You must always use la recrue regardless of whether the actual person is male or female.
What is the literal meaning of le compte à rebours?
Le compte means the count, and à rebours means backward or in reverse. Put together, it literally translates to the backward count, which is how French expresses a countdown.

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