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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb caractériser

Get the Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) tense conjugation of caractériser. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb caractériser is “to characterize.” It is pronounced as “karak-teh-ree-zay.”

The word caractériser comes from the Latin word “caracterizare” which means “to distinguish” or “to mark.” It entered the French language in the 16th century.

In everyday French, caractériser is often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense to express actions that would have been characterized in the past if certain conditions had been met. This tense is formed by using the conditional tense of the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” and the past participle of caractériser, which is “caractérisé.”

Here are three simple examples of caractériser in the Conditionnel Passé tense with their English translations:

  1. Si j’avais vu le film, je l’aurais caractérisé comme étant le meilleur de l’année. (If I had seen the movie, I would have characterized it as the best of the year.)

  2. Ils auraient été caractérisés comme des héros s’ils avaient sauvé les enfants de l’incendie. (They would have been characterized as heroes if they had saved the children from the fire.)

  3. Si tu avais écouté les conseils de ta mère, tu n’aurais pas été caractérisé comme un rebelle. (If you had listened to your mother’s advice, you wouldn’t have been characterized as a rebel.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais caractérisé Si j’avais eu le temps, j’aurais caractérisé cette situation. If I had had the time, I would have characterized this situation.
tu aurais caractérisé Tu aurais caractérisé le problème différemment. You would have characterized the problem differently.
il aurait caractérisé Il aurait caractérisé son comportement comme étrange. He would have characterized his behavior as strange.
elle aurait caractérisé Elle aurait caractérisé son roman comme un chef-d’oeuvre. She would have characterized her novel as a masterpiece.
on aurait caractérisé On aurait caractérisé ce quartier comme résidentiel. One would have characterized this neighborhood as residential.
nous aurions caractérisé Nous aurions caractérisé notre relation comme passionnée. We would have characterized our relationship as passionate.
vous auriez caractérisé Vous auriez caractérisé votre discours comme inspirant. You would have characterized your speech as inspiring.
ils auraient caractérisé Ils auraient caractérisé leur voyage comme inoubliable. They would have characterized their trip as unforgettable.
elles auraient caractérisé Elles auraient caractérisé cette expérience comme enrichissante. They (female) would have characterized this experience as enriching.

Other Conjugations for Caractériser.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caractériser
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required! 

  

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the caractériser Conditionnel Passé tense conjugation!

Caractériser – 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.

Want More?

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb caractériser. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply