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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb attacher

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The English translation of the French verb attacher is “to attach” or “to fasten.” The infinitive form is pronounced “ah-tah-shay.”

The word attacher comes from the Old French word “atachier,” which means “to bind, tie, or fasten.” It can be traced back to the Latin word “taccare,” meaning “to join or unite.”

In everyday French, attacher is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses a conditional action that would have happened in the past. This tense is formed by using the conditional of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” followed by the past participle of the main verb.

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

  1. Si j’avais pu, j’aurais attaché les ballons sur le toit. (If I could have, I would have attached the balloons to the roof.)
  2. Nous serions arrivés à temps si nous avions attaché nos ceintures plus tôt. (We would have arrived on time if we had fastened our seatbelts earlier.)
  3. Vous auriez été plus à l’aise si vous aviez attaché vos cheveux en arrière. (You would have been more comfortable if you had tied your hair back.)

In all of these examples, the conditional action of attaching or fastening something is expressed as a possibility that would have occurred in the past under different circumstances.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais attaché Si j’avais su, je t’aurais attaché. I would have attached you.
tu aurais attaché Tu aurais attaché plus tôt. You would have attached earlier.
il aurait attaché Il aurait attaché le document. He would have attached the document.
elle aurait attaché Elle aurait attaché le collier. She would have attached the necklace.
on aurait attaché On aurait attaché les dossiers. One would have attached the files.
nous aurions attaché Nous aurions attaché les photos. We would have attached the photos.
vous auriez attaché Vous auriez attaché les valises. You would have attached the suitcases.
ils auraient attaché Ils auraient attaché les cordes. They would have attached the ropes.
elles auraient attaché Elles auraient attaché les clés. They (female) would have attached the keys.

Other Conjugations for Attacher.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb attacher
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Attacher – 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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