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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cagner

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The English translation of the French verb cagner is “to nag” or “to pester.” The infinitive form is pronounced “kah-nyay.”

The word cagner comes from the Old French word “cagne” which means “to bite” or “to worry.” It is most often used in everyday French in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses a hypothetical or unreal action in the past.

Example 1: J’aurais cagné toute la journée si j’avais été à la maison.
Translation: I would have nagged all day if I had been at home.

Example 2: Tu aurais cagné tes parents pour qu’ils t’achètent ce jouet.
Translation: You would have pestered your parents to buy you that toy.

Example 3: Elle aurait cagné son mari jusqu’à ce qu’il fasse les courses.
Translation: She would have nagged her husband until he went grocery shopping.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais cagné Si j’avais su, j’aurais cagné plus. I would have yelled more if I had known.
tu aurais cagné Tu aurais cagné plus tôt. You would have yelled earlier.
il aurait cagné Il aurait cagné pour rien. He would have yelled for nothing.
elle aurait cagné Elle aurait cagné avec colère. She would have yelled angrily.
on aurait cagné On aurait cagné pour s’amuser. One would have yelled for fun.
nous aurions cagné Nous aurions cagné ensemble. We would have yelled together.
vous auriez cagné Vous auriez cagné plus fort. You would have yelled louder.
ils auraient cagné Ils auraient cagné contre l’injustice. They would have yelled against injustice.
elles auraient cagné Elles auraient cagné pour leurs droits. They (female) would have yelled for their rights.

Other Conjugations for Cagner.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cagner
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Cagner – 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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