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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bercer

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The English translation of the French verb bercer is “to rock” or “to cradle.” It is pronounced as “ber-say.”

The language origin of bercer can be traced back to the French word “bercier,” which means “to cradle.” It ultimately comes from the Latin word “bercarius,” meaning “shepherd.”

In everyday French, bercer is most commonly 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 bercer.

Here are three simple examples of bercer in the Conditionnel Passé tense:

  1. J’aurais bercé mon enfant pendant des heures s’il avait eu du mal à s’endormir.
    Translation: I would have rocked my child for hours if he had trouble falling asleep.

  2. Nous aurions bercé nos petits-enfants si nous avions été avec eux pendant leur sieste.
    Translation: We would have cradled our grandchildren if we had been with them during their nap.

  3. Ils seraient tombés endormis si nous les avions bercés dans nos bras.
    Translation: They would have fallen asleep if we had cradled them in our arms.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais bercé Si j’avais su, je t’aurais bercé. I would have rocked you.
tu aurais bercé Tu aurais bercé plus longtemps. You would have rocked longer.
il aurait bercé Il aurait bercé le bébé. He would have rocked the baby.
elle aurait bercé Elle aurait bercé son enfant. She would have rocked her child.
on aurait bercé On aurait bercé avec douceur. One would have rocked gently.
nous aurions bercé Nous aurions bercé les bébés. We would have rocked the babies.
vous auriez bercé Vous auriez bercé vos enfants. You would have rocked your children.
ils auraient bercé Ils auraient bercé les enfants. They would have rocked the children.
elles auraient bercé Elles auraient bercé les bébés. They (female) would have rocked the babies.

Other Conjugations for Bercer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bercer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Bercer – 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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