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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb aborder

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The English translation of the French verb aborder is “to approach” or “to address.” It is pronounced as ah-bor-der, with the emphasis on the second syllable.

Aborder comes from the Old French word “aborder,” which means “to come ashore” or “to land.” It is derived from the Latin word “ad” (to) and “bordum” (edge or shore). In modern French, it is most commonly used in the context of approaching or addressing a subject or person.

In the Conditionnel Passé tense, aborder is used to express a possibility or hypothetical action that would have happened in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage with English translations:

  1. Si j’avais eu plus de temps, j’aurais abordé le sujet avec lui. (If I had had more time, I would have addressed the subject with him.)
  2. Il aurait abordé la situation différemment s’il avait su la vérité. (He would have approached the situation differently if he had known the truth.)
  3. Elle aurait été plus ouverte si tu l’avais abordée avec plus de tact. (She would have been more open if you had approached her with more tact.)

Table of the Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of aborder

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais abordé Si j’étais allé(e) à la réunion, j’aurais abordé ce sujet. If I had gone to the meeting, I would have brought up this topic.
tu aurais abordé Tu aurais abordé cette question plus tôt. You would have addressed this issue earlier.
il aurait abordé Il aurait abordé le problème avec son chef. He would have broached the problem with his boss.
elle aurait abordé Elle aurait abordé la situation avec ses collègues. She would have discussed the situation with her colleagues.
on aurait abordé On aurait abordé le sujet lors de la réunion. One would have tackled the topic during the meeting.
nous aurions abordé Nous aurions abordé le projet en détail. We would have approached the project in detail.
vous auriez abordé Vous auriez abordé cette question avec votre équipe. You would have addressed this issue with your team.
ils auraient abordé Ils auraient abordé la politique lors de la conférence. They would have discussed politics during the conference.
elles auraient abordé Elles auraient abordé le sujet de manière différente. They (female) would have approached the topic differently.

Other Conjugations for Aborder.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aborder
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb aborder  (this article)

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

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


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Aborder – About the French Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense

The French “Conditionnel Passé” is a compound tense used to express hypothetical or unreal actions in the past. It is formed by combining the conditional of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” and the past participle of the main verb.

NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation

Start with the conditional of the auxiliary verb: For most verbs, use “aurais” (for “avoir”) or “serais” (for “être”) as the conditional form. 

With “avoir”: j’aurais, tu aurais, il/elle/on aurait, nous aurions, vous auriez, ils/elles auraient. 
With “être”: je serais, tu serais, il/elle/on serait, nous serions, vous seriez, ils/elles seraient. 

Add the past participle of the main verb to this conditional form. 
For example, if you want to say “I would have done,” you would use “j’aurais fait.” If you want to say “She would have gone,” you would use “elle serait allée.”

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

Expressing Unreal Past Scenarios

The Conditionnel Passé is often used to talk about actions that did not happen in the past, but you are speculating about what would have occurred if they had. It’s a way to discuss hypothetical situations in the past. 

Si j’avais su, je t’aurais aidé. (If I had known, I would have helped you.)
Il serait venu s’il avait eu le temps. (He would have come if he had had the time.) 

Polite Requests or Suggestions

It can be used to make polite requests or suggestions in the past. 

Pourriez-vous m’aider, s’il vous plaît ? (Could you have helped me, please?) 

Expressing Doubt or Uncertainty

It can convey doubt or uncertainty regarding past events.

Il aurait peut-être oublié notre rendez-vous. (He might have forgotten our appointment.)

Interactions with Other Tenses

Conditional Present

You can use the Conditionnel Passé in combination with the conditional present to describe past actions that were hypothetical at the time they were spoken about. J’aurais aimé que tu m’appelles hier. (I would have liked you to call me yesterday.) 

Indicative Past Tenses

You might use the Conditionnel Passé alongside indicative past tenses like the passé composé to contrast hypothetical and real past events. Il est venu hier, mais s’il avait pu, il serait venu la semaine dernière. (He came yesterday, but if he could have, he would have come last week.) 

Conditional Future

In some cases, you can use the Conditionnel Passé in combination with the conditional future to discuss unreal past events that could have consequences in the future. Si j’avais réussi mon examen, j’aurais un meilleur travail. (If I had passed my exam, I would have a better job.)

Summary

In summary, the Conditionnel Passé is used to express hypothetical or unreal actions in the past. It is often used in conjunction with other tenses to convey various nuances in French, allowing speakers to discuss imaginary past scenarios, make polite requests, or express doubt about past events.

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