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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cadrer

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The English translation of the French verb cadrer is “to frame” or “to fit”. It is pronounced as “ka-dreh”.

The word cadrer comes from the Old French word “cadre” meaning “frame” or “border”. It is most often used in every day French to talk about aligning or fitting something into a specific frame or structure.

In the Conditionnel Passé tense, cadrer is used to indicate a hypothetical or unrealized action in the past. It is formed by using the conditional tense of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” followed by the past participle of cadrer.

Here are three simple examples of cadrer in the Conditionnel Passé tense with their corresponding English translations:

  1. Si j’avais écouté tes conseils, ça n’aurait pas cadré avec mes valeurs. (If I had listened to your advice, it would not have aligned with my values.)

  2. Tu aurais mieux fait de cadrer les photos avant de les imprimer. (You should have framed the pictures before printing them.)

  3. Nous serions arrivés à l’heure si le trafic avait cadré avec nos prévisions. (We would have arrived on time if the traffic had aligned with our predictions.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais cadré Si j’avais plus de temps, je t’aurais mieux cadré. If I had more time, I would have framed you better.
tu aurais cadré Tu aurais cadré cette photo. You would have framed this photo.
il aurait cadré Il aurait cadré la scène. He would have framed the scene.
elle aurait cadré Elle aurait cadré la décoration. She would have framed the decoration.
on aurait cadré On aurait cadré tous les détails. One would have framed all the details.
nous aurions cadré Nous aurions mieux cadré la photo ensemble. We would have framed the photo together.
vous auriez cadré Vous auriez cadré le tableau différemment. You would have framed the painting differently.
ils auraient cadré Ils auraient cadré la pièce avec précision. They would have framed the room with precision.
elles auraient cadré Elles auraient cadré la photo ensemble. They (female) would have framed the photo together.

Other Conjugations for Cadrer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cadrer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Cadrer – 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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