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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb assumer

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The English translation of the French verb assumer is “to assume” or “to take on.” The infinitive form is pronounced ah-zoom-eh.

The verb assumer comes from the Latin word assumere, which means “to take up” or “to undertake.” It entered the French language in the 12th century and has been used in various contexts since then.

In everyday French, the verb assumer is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which is used to express an action that would have taken place in the past if certain conditions had been met. It can also be used to express a polite request or suggestion.

Some examples of the usage of assumer in the Conditionnel Passé tense are:

  1. Si j’avais su, j’aurais assumé la responsabilité. (If I had known, I would have taken on the responsibility.)
  2. Ils auraient assumé les conséquences de leurs actes. (They would have faced the consequences of their actions.)
  3. Elle aurait préféré que nous assumions notre erreur. (She would have preferred if we had owned up to our mistake.)

In these examples, the verb assumer is conjugated in the Conditionnel Passé tense with the auxiliary verb avoir and the past participle assumé. It is used to express a hypothetical or desired action in the past.

Overall, the verb assumer is a common and versatile verb in the French language, used in various tenses and contexts to convey the idea of taking on or accepting something.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais assumé Si j’avais su, je t’aurais assumé. I would have assumed you.
tu aurais assumé Tu aurais assumé plus tôt. You would have assumed earlier.
il aurait assumé Il aurait assumé le risque. He would have taken the risk.
elle aurait assumé Elle aurait assumé ses responsabilités. She would have assumed her responsibilities.
on aurait assumé On aurait assumé la vérité. One would have assumed the truth.
nous aurions assumé Nous aurions assumé cette mission. We would have taken on this mission.
vous auriez assumé Vous auriez assumé avec eux. You would have assumed with them.
ils auraient assumé Ils auraient assumé leur erreur. They would have admitted their mistake.
elles auraient assumé Elles auraient assumé le rôle. They (female) would have taken on the role.

Other Conjugations for Assumer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb assumer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Assumer – 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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