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

Introduction to the verb calfeutrer

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The English translation of the French verb calfeutrer is “to seal up” or “to plug up.” It is pronounced “kal-fuh-trer” in its infinitive form.

The word calfeutrer comes from the Latin word “calcō” meaning “to trample” and the Old French word “fuiter” meaning “to leak.” It was originally used in a nautical context to describe the process of sealing leaks in a ship’s hull. Over time, it came to be used more generally to refer to the act of sealing or plugging up any kind of opening or gap.

In everyday French, calfeutrer is often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses actions that would have been done in the past if certain conditions were met. For example:

  1. Si j’avais su que la tempête était si forte, j’aurais calfeutré toutes les fenêtres. (If I had known that the storm was so strong, I would have sealed up all the windows.)

  2. Nous aurions dû calfeutrer le toit avant que la neige ne commence à tomber. (We should have sealed up the roof before the snow started falling.)

  3. Si vous aviez calfeutré les fissures dans les murs, vous n’auriez pas eu de problèmes avec les insectes. (If you had sealed up the cracks in the walls, you wouldn’t have had a problem with insects.)

In each of these examples, the use of the Conditionnel Passé tense with calfeutrer expresses a missed opportunity or regret about not having sealed or plugged up something in the past.

Overall, calfeutrer is a useful verb for describing the action of sealing or plugging up openings, and it is often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense to express actions that could have been done in the past to prevent problems in the present.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais calfeutré Si j’avais eu le temps, je t’aurais calfeutré. I would have sealed you off if I had the time.
tu aurais calfeutré Tu aurais calfeutré les fenêtres toi-même. You would have sealed the windows yourself.
il aurait calfeutré Il aurait calfeutré la porte de sa chambre. He would have sealed the door of his room.
elle aurait calfeutré Elle aurait calfeutré la maison pour l’hiver. She would have sealed the house for the winter.
on aurait calfeutré On aurait calfeutré toutes les fissures. One would have sealed all the cracks.
nous aurions calfeutré Nous aurions calfeutré la maison ensemble. We would have sealed the house together.
vous auriez calfeutré Vous auriez calfeutré les portes et les fenêtres. You would have sealed the doors and windows.
ils auraient calfeutré Ils auraient calfeutré la maison pour éviter le froid. They would have sealed the house to avoid the cold.
elles auraient calfeutré Elles auraient calfeutré la maison en utilisant un marteau. They (female) would have sealed the house using a hammer.

Other Conjugations for Calfeutrer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb calfeutrer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Calfeutrer – 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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