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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb attaquer

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The English translation of the French verb attaquer is “to attack.” It is pronounced as “ah-ta-kay” in its infinitive form.

The word attaquer comes from the Old French word “ataquer,” which is derived from the Latin word “attaccare,” meaning “to stick to.” In everyday French, attaquer is most often used to describe a physical or verbal attack on someone or something. It can also be used metaphorically to describe a strong criticism or accusation.

In the Conditionnel Passé tense, attaquer is often used to express a hypothetical or imagined situation in the past. It is formed by conjugating the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the conditionnel présent (aurais, aurais, aurait, aurions, auriez, auraient) and adding the past participle “attaqué.”

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

  1. Si j’avais su, j’aurais attaqué le projet plus tôt. (If I had known, I would have started the project earlier.)

  2. Il aurait été trop risqué d’attaquer l’ennemi sans renforts. (It would have been too risky to attack the enemy without reinforcements.)

  3. Nous aurions attaqué la réunion, mais elle a été annulée à la dernière minute. (We would have attacked the meeting, but it was canceled at the last minute.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais attaqué Si j’avais su, je t’aurais attaqué. I would have attacked you.
tu aurais attaqué Tu aurais attaqué plus tôt. You would have attacked earlier.
il aurait attaqué Il aurait attaqué l’ennemi. He would have attacked the enemy.
elle aurait attaqué Elle aurait attaqué sa famille. She would have attacked her family.
on aurait attaqué On aurait attaqué le château. One would have attacked the castle.
nous aurions attaqué Nous aurions attaqué ensemble. We would have attacked together.
vous auriez attaqué Vous auriez attaqué avec eux. You would have attacked with them.
ils auraient attaqué Ils auraient attaqué le village. They would have attacked the village.
elles auraient attaqué Elles auraient attaqué l’armée. They (female) would have attacked the army.

Other Conjugations for Attaquer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb attaquer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Attaquer – 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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