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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb camper

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The English translation of the French verb camper is “to camp.” It is pronounced as “kahm-peh.”

The word camper comes from the French word “camp,” which itself comes from the Latin word “campus,” meaning “field” or “open space.” In everyday French, the verb camper is most often used to refer to the act of camping or staying in a tent or recreational vehicle for leisure purposes.

In the Conditionnel Passé tense, camper is used to express a hypothetical or possible action in the past. It is formed by using the conditional tense of the auxiliary verb avoir (aurais, aurais, aurait, aurions, auriez, auraient) followed by the past participle of camper (campé).

Example 1: Si j’avais assez d’argent, j’aurais campé dans les Alpes l’été dernier. (If I had enough money, I would have camped in the Alps last summer.)
Example 2: Tu aurais campé dans ce parc national si tu avais su qu’il y avait une belle rivière à côté. (You would have camped in this national park if you had known there was a beautiful river nearby.)
Example 3: Nous aurions campé ici, mais il y avait trop de moustiques. (We would have camped here, but there were too many mosquitoes.)

In these examples, the verb camper is used in the Conditionnel Passé tense to express a past action that did not actually happen, but could have happened under different circumstances.

Overall, the verb camper is commonly used in everyday French to talk about camping in various locations, whether it be in a tent, a RV, or a camper van.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais campé Si j’avais su, je t’aurais campé. I would have camped with you.
tu aurais campé Tu aurais campé plus tôt. You would have camped earlier.
il aurait campé Il aurait campé avec ses amis. He would have camped with his friends.
elle aurait campé Elle aurait campé dans les montagnes. She would have camped in the mountains.
on aurait campé On aurait campé près du lac. One would have camped near the lake.
nous aurions campé Nous aurions campé en nature. We would have camped in nature.
vous auriez campé Vous auriez campé ensemble. You would have camped together.
ils auraient campé Ils auraient campé dans la forêt. They would have camped in the forest.
elles auraient campé Elles auraient campé avec leur famille. They (female) would have camped with their family.

Other Conjugations for Camper.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb camper
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Camper – 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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