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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cambrer

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The English translation of the French verb cambrer is “to arch” or “to curve.” It is pronounced as “kahm-bray.”

The origin of cambrer can be traced back to the Latin word “camurare,” meaning “to bend.” In everyday French, cambrer is used to describe the action of bending or arching one’s body, often in a sensual or seductive manner. It can also refer to the curvature of an object or structure.

In the Conditionnel Passé tense, cambrer is used to express a hypothetical or unreal action that took place in the past. Here are three examples of its usage in this tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Si j’avais su danser, je t’aurais cambré la nuit dernière. (If I had known how to dance, I would have arched for you last night.)

  2. Ils auraient mieux fait de cambrer les murs pour les rendre plus solides. (They should have curved the walls to make them stronger.)

  3. Nous aurions dû te cambrer pour pouvoir passer sous cette barrière. (We should have arched you to be able to pass under that fence.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais cambré Si j’avais su, je t’aurais cambré. I would have arched for you.
tu aurais cambré Tu aurais cambré plus tôt. You would have arched earlier.
il aurait cambré Il aurait cambré son dos. He would have arched his back.
elle aurait cambré Elle aurait cambré ses hanches. She would have arched her hips.
on aurait cambré On aurait cambré le bois. One would have arched the wood.
nous aurions cambré Nous aurions cambré notre corps. We would have arched our bodies.
vous auriez cambré Vous auriez cambré vos jambes. You would have arched your legs.
ils auraient cambré Ils auraient cambré leurs dos. They would have arched their backs.
elles auraient cambré Elles auraient cambré leurs corps. They (female) would have arched their bodies.

Other Conjugations for Cambrer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cambrer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Cambrer – 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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