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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb carder

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The English translation of the French verb carder is “to card” or “to comb.” The infinitive form of the verb is pronounced kahr-dey.

The term “carder” originated from the Old French word “carde,” meaning “card,” which referred to a tool used to comb and clean fibers in wool or cotton before spinning.

In everyday French, carder is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé (conditional perfect) tense to express actions that would have taken place in the past under certain conditions. It is formed by using the conditional form of the auxiliary verb avoir or être, followed by the past participle of carder (cardé).

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

  1. Si j’avais cardé ma laine hier, elle serait plus douce aujourd’hui. (If I had carded my wool yesterday, it would be softer today.)

  2. Nous aurions cardé les cheveux du bébé si nous avions eu le temps. (We would have combed the baby’s hair if we had had time.)

  3. Vous auriez cardé vos cartes avant de commencer le jeu. (You would have shuffled your cards before starting the game.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais cardé Si j’avais su, je t’aurais cardé. I would have brushed you.
tu aurais cardé Tu aurais cardé plus tôt. You would have brushed earlier.
il aurait cardé Il aurait cardé ses cheveux. He would have brushed his hair.
elle aurait cardé Elle aurait cardé la laine. She would have carded the wool.
on aurait cardé On aurait cardé de la laine. One would have carded wool.
nous aurions cardé Nous aurions cardé ensemble. We would have carded together.
vous auriez cardé Vous auriez cardé le tissu. You would have carded the fabric.
ils auraient cardé Ils auraient cardé la laine. They would have carded wool.
elles auraient cardé Elles auraient cardé la laine. They (female) would have carded wool.

Other Conjugations for Carder.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb carder
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Carder – 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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