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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cabaler

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The English translation of the French verb cabaler is “to scheme” or “to plot.” It is pronounced as “ka-ba-leh” in the infinitive form.

The word “cabaler” comes from the Latin word “caballus,” meaning “horse.” In everyday French, “cabaler” is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses a hypothetical or unreal past action.

Examples of “cabaler” in the Conditionnel Passé tense are:

  1. Si j’avais eu plus de temps, j’aurais cabalé pour obtenir une promotion. (If I had more time, I would have schemed to get a promotion.)

  2. Il regrettera d’avoir cabalé contre ses collègues. (He will regret having plotted against his colleagues.)

  3. Nous aurions réussi si nous n’avions pas été cabalistes. (We would have succeeded if we had not been schemers.)

English translations:

  1. If I had had more time, I would have schemed to get a promotion.

  2. He will regret having plotted against his colleagues.

  3. We would have succeeded if we had not been schemers.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais cabalé Si j’avais su, je t’aurais cabalé. I would have schemed with you.
tu aurais cabalé Tu aurais cabalé plus tôt. You would have schemed earlier.
il aurait cabalé Il aurait cabalé avec ses amis. He would have schemed with his friends.
elle aurait cabalé Elle aurait cabalé pour réussir. She would have schemed to succeed.
on aurait cabalé On aurait cabalé pour gagner. One would have schemed to win.
nous aurions cabalé Nous aurions cabalé ensemble. We would have schemed together.
vous auriez cabalé Vous auriez cabalé sans moi. You would have schemed without me.
ils auraient cabalé Ils auraient cabalé pour devenir riches. They would have schemed to become rich.
elles auraient cabalé Elles auraient cabalé pour réussir. They (female) would have schemed to succeed.

Other Conjugations for Cabaler.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cabaler
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Cabaler – 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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