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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb arquepincer

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The English translation of the French verb arquepincer is “to pinch.” It is pronounced “ahr-keh-pan-say.”

The origin of the word arquepincer can be traced back to the Old French word “arcquepincer,” which comes from the Latin words “arcus” (bow) and “pungere” (to prick). Over time, the word evolved to mean “to pinch” in its modern usage.

In everyday French, arquepincer is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses a hypothetical action in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Si j’avais été là, j’aurais arquepincé le bébé méchant. (If I had been there, I would have pinched the naughty baby.)
  2. Tu aurais dû me demander avant de arquepincer les pommes de terre. (You should have asked me before pinching the potatoes.)
  3. Ils auraient été punis s’ils avaient été pris en train d’arquepincer les bonbons. (They would have been punished if they had been caught pinching the candies.)

In all of these examples, the verb arquepincer is used to express a past hypothetical action or situation. It can also be used in other tenses, such as the present or future, to describe an actual action of pinching.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais arquepincé Si tu avais été là, je t’aurais arquepincé. If you had been there, I would have pinched you.
tu aurais arquepincé Tu aurais arquepincé ma sœur. You would have pinched my sister.
il aurait arquepincé Il aurait arquepincé ton bras. He would have pinched your arm.
elle aurait arquepincé Elle aurait arquepincé son nez. She would have pinched her nose.
on aurait arquepincé On aurait arquepincé le citron. One would have pinched the lemon.
nous aurions arquepincé Nous aurions arquepincé ensemble. We would have pinched together.
vous auriez arquepincé Vous auriez arquepincé ces fraises. You would have pinched these strawberries.
ils auraient arquepincé Ils auraient arquepincé le chat. They would have pinched the cat.
elles auraient arquepincé Elles auraient arquepincé leurs camarades. They (female) would have pinched their classmates.

Other Conjugations for Arquepincer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arquepincer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Arquepincer – 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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