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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb asphyxier

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The English translation of the French verb asphyxier is “to asphyxiate” or “to suffocate.” It is pronounced “ahs-fee-zee-ay.”

The word asphyxier comes from the Greek word “asphyxia,” meaning lack of pulse or breath, and the suffix “-ier,” which is used to form verbs in French.

In everyday French, asphyxier is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which indicates a hypothetical or uncertain action that would have taken place in the past.

Three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with their respective English translations, are:

  1. Si j’avais oublié d’ouvrir la fenêtre, nous nous serions asphyxiés dans cette pièce. (If I had forgotten to open the window, we would have suffocated in this room.)

  2. Ils auraient été asphyxiés par la fumée si les pompiers n’étaient pas arrivés à temps. (They would have been asphyxiated by the smoke if the firefighters had not arrived in time.)

  3. Tu aurais pu t’asphyxier avec cette nourriture si tu l’avais avalée trop vite. (You could have asphyxiated yourself with this food if you had swallowed it too quickly.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais asphyxié Si j’avais su, je t’aurais asphyxié. I would have suffocated you.
tu aurais asphyxié Tu aurais asphyxié plus tôt. You would have suffocated earlier.
il aurait asphyxié Il aurait asphyxié le chien. He would have suffocated the dog.
elle aurait asphyxié Elle aurait asphyxié son frère. She would have suffocated her brother.
on aurait asphyxié On aurait asphyxié le chat. One would have suffocated the cat.
nous aurions asphyxié Nous aurions asphyxié en silence. We would have suffocated in silence.
vous auriez asphyxié Vous auriez asphyxié avec lui. You would have suffocated with him.
ils auraient asphyxié Ils auraient asphyxié la victime. They would have suffocated the victim.
elles auraient asphyxié Elles auraient asphyxié leur bébé. They (female) would have suffocated their baby.

Other Conjugations for Asphyxier.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb asphyxier
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Asphyxier – 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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