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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb apposer

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The English translation of the French verb apposer is “to affix” or “to apply.”

In French, the infinitive form of apposer is pronounced as “ah-po-zay.”

The language origin of apposer can be traced back to the Latin word “appositiōnem,” meaning “placement.” It is most commonly used in everyday French in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which is formed by using the conditional form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” followed by the past participle of the verb.

Here are three simple examples of how apposer is used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Si j’avais su que tu voulais ce document, je l’aurais apposé sur ton bureau. (If I had known you wanted this document, I would have affixed it to your desk.)

  2. Nous aurions apposé notre signature sur le contrat si nous avions eu plus de temps pour le lire. (We would have applied our signature to the contract if we had had more time to read it.)

  3. Elle se serait bien apposée dans la nouvelle maison si elle avait pu la décorer à sa guise. (She would have felt at home in the new house if she had been able to decorate it as she pleased.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais apposé J’aurais apposé ma signature. I would have affixed my signature.
tu aurais apposé Tu aurais apposé le document. You would have affixed the document.
il aurait apposé Il aurait apposé sa photo. He would have affixed his photo.
elle aurait apposé Elle aurait apposé l’affiche. She would have affixed the poster.
on aurait apposé On aurait apposé les étiquettes. One would have affixed the labels.
nous aurions apposé Nous aurions apposé nos noms. We would have affixed our names.
vous auriez apposé Vous auriez apposé les timbres. You would have affixed the stamps.
ils auraient apposé Ils auraient apposé leurs logos. They would have affixed their logos.
elles auraient apposé Elles auraient apposé leurs signatures. They (female) would have affixed their signatures.

Other Conjugations for Apposer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb apposer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Apposer – 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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