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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb apparier

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The English translation of the French verb apparier is “to pair” or “to match.” It is pronounced as “ah-pah-ree-ay.”

The word apparier has its roots in the Latin word “par” which means “equal.” It was first used in the French language in the 16th century, and its meaning has evolved over time. In everyday French, the verb apparier is most commonly used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which is used to express a hypothetical or possible action in the past.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense with their English translations:

  1. Si j’avais su, j’aurais pu apparier les chaussettes avant de les mettre dans la machine à laver. (If I had known, I could have paired the socks before putting them in the washing machine.)
  2. Ils se seraient bien apparés ensemble, mais ils ne se sont jamais rencontrés. (They would have made a good match, but they never met.)
  3. Nous aurions pu gagner le jeu si nous avions mieux apparié nos équipes. (We could have won the game if we had matched our teams better.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais apparié Si j’avais su, je t’aurais apparié. I would have paired you up.
tu aurais apparié Tu aurais apparié plus tôt. You would have paired up earlier.
il aurait apparié Il aurait apparié les animaux. He would have paired up the animals.
elle aurait apparié Elle aurait apparié les couleurs. She would have paired up the colors.
on aurait apparié On aurait apparié les objets. One would have paired up the objects.
nous aurions apparié Nous aurions apparié les équipes. We would have paired up the teams.
vous auriez apparié Vous auriez apparié les élèves. You would have paired up the students.
ils auraient apparié Ils auraient apparié les cartes. They would have matched the cards.
elles auraient apparié Elles auraient apparié les chaussettes. They (female) would have paired up the socks.

Other Conjugations for Apparier.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb apparier
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Apparier – 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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