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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb bitter

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The English translation of the French verb “bitter” is “to regret” or “to be bitter.” It is pronounced as “be-tehr” in the infinitive form.

The word “bitter” comes from the Old English word “biter,” which is derived from the Proto-Germanic word “bitraz,” meaning sharp, biting. In everyday French, the verb “bitter” is commonly used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses regret or bitterness about a past action or event.

Examples of “bitter” in the Conditionnel Passé tense:

  1. J’aurais aimé qu’il ait écouté mes conseils. (I would have liked for him to have listened to my advice.)

  2. Nous aurions préféré qu’elle ne soit pas partie si tôt. (We would have preferred for her not to have left so early.)

  3. Tu aurais dû venir avec nous hier soir. (You should have come with us last night.)

English translations:

  1. I wish he had listened to my advice.
  2. We would have preferred for her not to have left so early.
  3. You should have come with us last night.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais bu Si j’avais su, je t’aurais bu. I would have drank you.
tu aurais bu Tu aurais bu plus tôt. You would have drank earlier.
il aurait bu Il aurait bu du café. He would have drank coffee.
elle aurait bu Elle aurait bu une limonade. She would have drank a lemonade.
on aurait bu On aurait bu de l’alcool. One would have drank alcohol.
nous aurions bu Nous aurions bu du vin. We would have drank wine.
vous auriez bu Vous auriez bu avec nous. You would have drank with us.
ils auraient bu Ils auraient bu de la bière. They would have drank beer.
elles auraient bu Elles auraient bu du thé. They (female) would have drank tea.

Other Conjugations for Bitter.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb bitter
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Bitter – 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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