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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb apiquer

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The English translation of the French verb apiquer is “to apply” or “to stick.” It is pronounced “ah-pee-kay.”

The word apiquer comes from the Old French word “apiquer,” which means “to attach” or “to fix.” It is derived from the Latin word “ad” meaning “to” and “picare” meaning “to prick.”

In everyday French, apiquer is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which is the conditional perfect tense. This tense is used to talk about actions that would have happened in the past if certain conditions had been met.

Here are three examples of apiquer used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, with the respective English translations:

  1. Si j’avais été plus rapide, j’aurais apiqué le timbre avant la fermeture du bureau de poste. (If I had been faster, I would have stuck the stamp before the post office closed.)
  2. Elle aurait apiqué la colle si elle avait eu le bon matériel. (She would have applied the glue if she had the right materials.)
  3. Nous aurions apiqué les étiquettes si nous avions suivi les instructions. (We would have stuck the labels if we had followed the instructions.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais appliqué Si j’avais su, je t’aurais appliqué de la crème solaire. If I had known, I would have applied sunscreen on you.
tu aurais appliqué Tu aurais appliqué la peinture plus uniformément. You would have applied the paint more evenly.
il aurait appliqué Il aurait appliqué les règles du jeu. He would have applied the rules of the game.
elle aurait appliqué Elle aurait appliqué le masque de beauté. She would have applied the face mask.
on aurait appliqué On aurait appliqué la stratégie de vente. One would have applied the sales strategy.
nous aurions appliqué Nous aurions appliqué cette méthode. We would have applied this method.
vous auriez appliqué Vous auriez appliqué votre propre style. You would have applied your own style.
ils auraient appliqué Ils auraient appliqué leurs connaissances. They would have applied their knowledge.
elles auraient appliqué Elles auraient appliqué les règles de sécurité. They (female) would have applied the safety rules.

Other Conjugations for Apiquer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb apiquer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Apiquer – 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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