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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb caillouter

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The English translation of the French verb caillouter is “to cover with stones” or “to strew with pebbles.” The infinitive form is pronounced “kah-yoo-tuh-ray.”

The word caillouter is derived from the French noun caillou, which means “pebble” or “stone.” It combines the root word caille, meaning “small stone,” and the suffix -outer, indicating the action of covering or strewing.

In everyday French, caillouter is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses a hypothetical or unrealized action in the past. It is formed by using the conditional form of the auxiliary verb avoir (aurais, aurais, aurait, aurions, auriez, auraient) followed by the past participle of caillouter (caillouté).

Here are three simple examples of how caillouter is used in the Conditionnel Passé tense:

1) Si j’avais su, j’aurais caillouté le chemin pour éviter les flaques d’eau. (If I had known, I would have covered the path with stones to avoid the puddles.)

2) Ils auraient dû caillouter le toit avant la tempête de grêle. (They should have covered the roof with stones before the hailstorm.)

3) Nous aurions caillouté la cour pour empêcher les mauvaises herbes de pousser. (We would have strewed the courtyard with pebbles to prevent weeds from growing.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais caillouté Si j’avais su, je t’aurais caillouté. I would have thrown rocks at you.
tu aurais caillouté Tu aurais caillouté la fenêtre. You would have thrown rocks at the window.
il aurait caillouté Il aurait caillouté la voiture. He would have thrown rocks at the car.
elle aurait caillouté Elle aurait caillouté le chat. She would have thrown rocks at the cat.
on aurait caillouté On aurait caillouté la maison. One would have thrown rocks at the house.
nous aurions caillouté Nous aurions caillouté le lac. We would have thrown rocks at the lake.
vous auriez caillouté Vous auriez caillouté le jardin. You would have thrown rocks at the garden.
ils auraient caillouté Ils auraient caillouté les oiseaux. They would have thrown rocks at the birds.
elles auraient caillouté Elles auraient caillouté la forêt. They (female) would have thrown rocks at the forest.

Other Conjugations for Caillouter.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caillouter
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Caillouter – 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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