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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb becquer

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The English translation of the French verb becquer is “to kiss.” It is pronounced as “beck-er.”

The origin of the verb becquer comes from the French word “bec,” which means “beak” or “mouth.” The suffix “-quer” adds the meaning of “to do” or “to make,” so becquer literally means “to make a beak or mouth movement,” which is the action of kissing.

In everyday French, the verb becquer is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses a hypothetical or unreal action in the past. It is formed by using the conditional form of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” followed by the past participle of becquer.

Here are three simple examples of becquer in the Conditionnel Passé tense and their English translations:

  1. Si j’avais vu mon ex petit-ami, je l’aurais becqué. (If I had seen my ex-boyfriend, I would have kissed him.)
  2. Elle serait partie avec lui s’il l’avait becquée. (She would have left with him if he had kissed her.)
  3. Nous aurions becqué ces délicieux macarons si nous étions allés à Paris. (We would have tasted these delicious macarons if we had gone to Paris.)

In all of these examples, the conditionnel passé tense is used to express a hypothetical or unreal action in the past. The verb becquer adds the idea of kissing to the sentences, showing that this action did not actually happen but is being imagined or considered.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais becqué Si j’avais su, je t’aurais becqué. I would have nibbled you.
tu aurais becqué Tu aurais becqué plus tôt. You would have nibbled earlier.
il aurait becqué Il aurait becqué du pain. He would have nibbled on bread.
elle aurait becqué Elle aurait becqué le fruit. She would have nibbled on the fruit.
on aurait becqué On aurait becqué des bonbons. One would have nibbled on candies.
nous aurions becqué Nous aurions becqué en secret. We would have nibbled secretly.
vous auriez becqué Vous auriez becqué avec modération. You would have nibbled in moderation.
ils auraient becqué Ils auraient becqué des gâteaux. They would have nibbled on cakes.
elles auraient becqué Elles auraient becqué des légumes. They (female) would have nibbled on vegetables.

Other Conjugations for Becquer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb becquer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Becquer – 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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