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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cadencer

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The English translation of the French verb cadencer is “to cadence” or “to pace.” It is pronounced as “kah-dahn-ser.”

The word “cadencer” comes from the Latin word “cadentia,” meaning “a falling or declining.” In French, it is primarily used in the musical context, referring to the rhythm or pace of a piece of music. However, it can also be used in a figurative sense to describe the pace or flow of something, such as a speech or a conversation.

In the Conditionnel Passé tense, cadencer is conjugated as “aurais cadencé” for the first person singular, and “aurions cadencé” for the first person plural. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Si j’avais suivi le rythme que tu m’avais cadencé, je n’aurais pas été aussi essoufflé. (If I had followed the pace you had set for me, I wouldn’t have been as out of breath.)
  2. Nous aurions cadencé nos pas sur la musique entraînante. (We would have paced our steps to the lively music.)
  3. Tu aurais dû cadencer ton discours pour maintenir l’attention du public. (You should have paced your speech to keep the audience engaged.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais cadencé Si j’avais su, je t’aurais cadencé. I would have cadenced you.
tu aurais cadencé Tu aurais cadencé plus tôt. You would have cadenced earlier.
il aurait cadencé Il aurait cadencé un rythme. He would have cadedenced a rhythm.
elle aurait cadencé Elle aurait cadencé sa voix. She would have cadenced her voice.
on aurait cadencé On aurait cadencé en cours. One would have cadenced in class.
nous aurions cadencé Nous aurions cadencé en groupe. We would have cadenced as a group.
vous auriez cadencé Vous auriez cadencé ensemble. You would have cadenced together.
ils auraient cadencé Ils auraient cadencé leur danse. They would have cadenced their dance.
elles auraient cadencé Elles auraient cadencé leurs pas. They (female) would have cadenced their steps.

Other Conjugations for Cadencer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cadencer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Cadencer – 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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