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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb altérer

Get the Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) tense conjugation of altérer. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb altérer is “to alter” or “to change.” The infinitive form of the verb is pronounced “ahl-teh-ray.”

The word “altérer” comes from the Latin word “alterare,” meaning “to change” or “to alter.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Conditionnel Passé (conditional past) tense, which is used to talk about hypothetical or unreal situations in the past.

Here are three simple examples of how altérer can be used in the Conditionnel Passé tense:

  1. Si j’avais suivi un régime strict, j’aurais altéré ma santé. (If I had followed a strict diet, I would have altered my health.)
  2. Nous aurions altéré l’itinéraire de notre voyage si nous avions eu plus de temps. (We would have changed the itinerary of our trip if we had had more time.)
  3. Tu aurais altéré tes chances de réussite si tu avais manqué cet examen important. (You would have jeopardized your chances of success if you had failed this important exam.)

In all of these examples, the verb altérer is used to talk about a possible change or alteration in a past situation.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais altéré Si j’avais su, je t’aurais altéré. I would have altered you.
tu aurais altéré Tu aurais altéré ta recette. You would have altered your recipe.
il aurait altéré Il aurait altéré le document. He would have altered the document.
elle aurait altéré Elle aurait altéré sa robe. She would have altered her dress.
on aurait altéré On aurait altéré la situation. One would have altered the situation.
nous aurions altéré Nous aurions altéré le contrat. We would have altered the contract.
vous auriez altéré Vous auriez altéré vos plans. You would have altered your plans.
ils auraient altéré Ils auraient altéré le programme. They would have altered the program.
elles auraient altéré Elles auraient altéré leurs chemises. They (female) would have altered their shirts.

Other Conjugations for Altérer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb altérer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required! 

  

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the altérer Conditionnel Passé tense conjugation!

Altérer – 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.

Want More?

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb altérer. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply