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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb adjectiver

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The English translation of the French verb adjectiver is “to adjective.” It is pronounced “ah-jek-teev-ay.”

The word adjectiver comes from the Latin word “adjectivus,” meaning “that which is added.” It is most often used in everyday French as a transitive verb, meaning it requires a direct object in order to make sense. In the Conditionnel Passé tense, it is used to express a hypothetical or possible action that would have taken place in the past.

Three examples of adjectiver used in the Conditionnel Passé tense are:

  1. Si j’avais su, j’aurais adjectivé ce tableau avec des couleurs plus vives. (If I had known, I would have adjectived this painting with brighter colors.)
  2. Il aurait adjectivé son discours pour le rendre plus percutant. (He would have adjectived his speech to make it more impactful.)
  3. Nous aurions adjectivé notre maison avant de la mettre en vente. (We would have adjectived our house before putting it up for sale.)

Note: In these examples, “adjectivé” can also be translated as “described” or “modified” depending on the context.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais adjectivé Si j’avais su, je t’aurais adjectivé. I would have used an adjective to describe you.
tu aurais adjectivé Tu aurais adjectivé plus tôt. You would have used an adjective earlier.
il aurait adjectivé Il aurait adjectivé le tableau. He would have used an adjective to describe the painting.
elle aurait adjectivé Elle aurait adjectivé son appartement. She would have used an adjective to describe her apartment.
on aurait adjectivé On aurait adjectivé nos émotions. One would have used an adjective to describe our emotions.
nous aurions adjectivé Nous aurions adjectivé nos textes. We would have used adjectives to describe our texts.
vous auriez adjectivé Vous auriez adjectivé avec eux. You would have used adjectives with them.
ils auraient adjectivé Ils auraient adjectivé leurs photos. They would have used adjectives to describe their photos.
elles auraient adjectivé Elles auraient adjectivé leurs vêtements. They (female) would have used adjectives to describe their clothes.

Other Conjugations for Adjectiver.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb adjectiver
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Adjectiver – 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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