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

Introduction to the verb arrêter

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The English translation of the French verb arrêter is “to stop.” It is pronounced “ah-reh-tay.”

The word arrêter comes from the Latin word “arrestare,” meaning “to stop” or “to delay.” It entered the French language in the 12th century and was originally used in a legal context, referring to the action of stopping someone or something in the name of law. Over time, it came to have a broader meaning of stopping or halting any action or movement.

In everyday French, arrêter is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses a hypothetical action in the past. This tense is formed by using the conditional form of the auxiliary verb avoir or être followed by the past participle of the main verb. In this tense, arrêter can have the meaning of “would have stopped” or “should have stopped.”

Example 1: Si j’avais appelé la police, ils auraient arrêté le voleur. (If I had called the police, they would have stopped the thief.)

Example 2: Tu aurais dû arrêter de boire avant de prendre le volant. (You should have stopped drinking before driving.)

Example 3: Nous serions arrivés à l’heure si le train n’avait pas été arrêté en cours de route. (We would have arrived on time if the train had not been stopped along the way.)

Overall, arrêter is a versatile verb that can be used in various contexts in everyday French. Its usage in the Conditionnel Passé tense allows for expression of actions that could have or should have been stopped in the past.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais arrêté Si j’avais su, je t’aurais arrêté. I would have stopped you.
tu aurais arrêté Tu aurais arrêté plus tôt. You would have stopped earlier.
il aurait arrêté Il aurait arrêté de fumer. He would have stopped smoking.
elle aurait arrêté Elle aurait arrêté de pleurer. She would have stopped crying.
on aurait arrêté On aurait arrêté le bruit. One would have stopped the noise.
nous aurions arrêté Nous aurions arrêté à la station. We would have stopped at the station.
vous auriez arrêté Vous auriez arrêté de parler. You would have stopped talking.
ils auraient arrêté Ils auraient arrêté la voiture. They would have stopped the car.
elles auraient arrêté Elles auraient arrêté de danser. They (female) would have stopped dancing.

Other Conjugations for Arrêter.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb arrêter
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Arrêter – 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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