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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb berner

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The English translation of the French verb berner is “to deceive” or “to trick.” It is pronounced as “ber-nay” in the infinitive form.

The word berner comes from the Latin term “berno,” which means “to deceive” or “to cheat.” It entered the French language in the 13th century and was originally used in the context of gambling, referring to someone who cheated or tricked others in a game. Over time, it evolved to have a broader meaning of deceiving or tricking someone in any situation.

In everyday French, berner is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses a hypothetical or possible action in the past. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the Conditionnel Présent tense, followed by the past participle of berner (eu berné for avoir and été berné for être).

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with the respective English translations:

  1. Si j’avais su qu’il était un escroc, je ne l’aurais pas berné. (If I had known he was a scammer, I wouldn’t have tricked him.)
  2. Nous aurions été bernés si nous n’avions pas fait attention. (We would have been deceived if we hadn’t paid attention.)
  3. Ils auraient été bernés s’ils avaient cru ses mensonges. (They would have been tricked if they had believed his lies.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais berné Si j’avais su, je t’aurais berné. I would have deceived you.
tu aurais berné Tu aurais berné plus tôt. You would have deceived earlier.
il aurait berné Il aurait berné du monde. He would have tricked people.
elle aurait berné Elle aurait berné son patron. She would have fooled her boss.
on aurait berné On aurait berné tout le monde. One would have deceived everyone.
nous aurions berné Nous aurions berné les clients. We would have deceived the clients.
vous auriez berné Vous auriez berné avec eux. You would have deceived with them.
ils auraient berné Ils auraient berné les autorités. They would have tricked the authorities.
elles auraient berné Elles auraient berné leurs amis. They (female) would have tricked their friends.

Other Conjugations for Berner.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb berner
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Berner – 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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