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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb amorcer

Get the Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) tense conjugation of amorcer. 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 amorcer is “to initiate” or “to start.”

The infinitive form of amorcer is pronounced “ah-mohr-say.”

Amorcer comes from the Old French word “amorser,” which means “to bite” or “to nibble.” It is derived from the Latin word “morsus,” which means “to bite” or “to provoke.”

In everyday French, amorcer is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense to talk about something that would have happened in the past if certain conditions had been met. It is also used when expressing a hypothetical or speculative situation in the past.

Examples of usage in the Conditionnel Passé tense:

  1. J’aurais amorcé une révolution si j’avais été à la tête du pays. (I would have initiated a revolution if I had been in charge of the country.)

  2. Ils auraient amorcé le processus de paix plus tôt s’ils avaient écouté les conseils des diplomates. (They would have started the peace process earlier if they had listened to the diplomats’ advice.)

  3. Tu aurais mieux fait d’amorcer la discussion avec lui avant de prendre une décision. (You would have been better off starting a conversation with him before making a decision.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais amorcé J’aurais amorcé le projet. I would have initiated the project.
tu aurais amorcé Tu aurais amorcé la réunion. You would have started the meeting.
il aurait amorcé Il aurait amorcé la négociation. He would have initiated the negotiation.
elle aurait amorcé Elle aurait amorcé la conversation. She would have started the conversation.
on aurait amorcé On aurait amorcé une nouvelle étape. One would have started a new phase.
nous aurions amorcé Nous aurions amorcé le changement. We would have initiated the change.
vous auriez amorcé Vous auriez amorcé le processus. You would have started the process.
ils auraient amorcé Ils auraient amorcé une grève. They would have started a strike.
elles auraient amorcé Elles auraient amorcé une enquête. They (female) would have initiated an investigation.

Other Conjugations for Amorcer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb amorcer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


    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 amorcer Conditionnel Passé tense conjugation!

Amorcer – 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 amorcer. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply