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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb apprêter

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The English translation of apprêter is “to prepare” and it is pronounced “ah-pray-tay”.

The language origin of apprêter can be traced back to the Latin word “ad-pretiare”, meaning to estimate or value. It entered the French language in the 14th century with the meaning of “to value or esteem” but over time, its usage evolved to mean “to prepare or get ready”.

In everyday French, apprêter is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses an action that would have happened in the past if certain conditions were met. This tense is formed by using the conditional of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” followed by the past participle of the main verb (apprêté).

Here are three simple examples of apprêter in the Conditionnel Passé tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Si j’avais suivi ta recette, j’aurais apprêté un délicieux gâteau. (If I had followed your recipe, I would have prepared a delicious cake.)
  2. Nous aurions apprêté une fête surprise pour son anniversaire si elle ne l’avait pas deviné. (We would have prepared a surprise party for her birthday if she hadn’t figured it out.)
  3. Vous auriez apprêté votre voyage en avance si vous aviez su que l’avion serait en retard. (You would have prepared your trip in advance if you had known that the plane would be delayed.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais apprêté Si j’avais su, je t’aurais apprêté. I would have prepared you.
tu aurais apprêté Tu aurais apprêté un bon repas. You would have prepared a good meal.
il aurait apprêté Il aurait apprêté la table. He would have set the table.
elle aurait apprêté Elle aurait apprêté sa tenue. She would have dressed up.
on aurait apprêté On aurait apprêté la fête ensemble. One would have prepared the party together.
nous aurions apprêté Nous aurions apprêté un gâteau. We would have made a cake.
vous auriez apprêté Vous auriez apprêté les invités. You would have prepared the guests.
ils auraient apprêté Ils auraient apprêté le dîner. They would have cooked dinner.
elles auraient apprêté Elles auraient apprêté le repas. They (female) would have prepared the meal.

Other Conjugations for Apprêter.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb apprêter
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Apprêter – 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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