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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb calancher

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The English translation of the French verb calancher is “to slump” or “to sag.” It is pronounced “ka-lahn-shay” in the infinitive form.

Calancher is derived from the Latin word “calcare” meaning “to trample,” and is related to the word “calf” in English. In everyday French, calancher is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense to express a hypothetical or unreal action in the past, often in a regretful or disappointed manner.

Here are three examples of calancher used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, with their English translations:

  1. Si j’avais écouté tes conseils, je n’aurais pas calanché et j’aurais réussi mon examen. (If I had listened to your advice, I wouldn’t have slumped and I would have passed my exam.)
  2. Tu aurais dû prendre soin de tes plantes, elles ont toutes calanché pendant ton voyage. (You should have taken care of your plants, they all sagged during your trip.)
  3. Nous aurions pu gagner le match, mais nous avons calanché en deuxième mi-temps. (We could have won the game, but we slumped in the second half.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais calanché Si j’avais eu le temps, je t’aurais calanché. If I had had time, I would have kicked you.
tu aurais calanché Tu aurais calanché la porte. You would have slammed the door.
il aurait calanché Il aurait calanché la balle. He would have kicked the ball.
elle aurait calanché Elle aurait calanché ses chaussures. She would have kicked her shoes off.
on aurait calanché On aurait calanché sur le chemin. One would have stumbled along the way.
nous aurions calanché Nous aurions calanché en montagne. We would have climbed in the mountains.
vous auriez calanché Vous auriez calanché sur la glace. You would have slipped on the ice.
ils auraient calanché Ils auraient calanché leur colère. They would have vented their anger.
elles auraient calanché Elles auraient calanché en dansant. They (female) would have kicked while dancing.

Other Conjugations for Calancher.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb calancher
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Calancher – 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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