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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb carrer

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The English translation of the French verb “carrer” is “to square” or “to make square.” It is pronounced as “kah-reh” in its infinitive form.

The origin of the verb “carrer” can be traced back to the Latin word “quadrare,” meaning “to make square.” It entered the French language in the 14th century and is derived from the Old French word “carre,” meaning “square.”

In everyday French, the verb “carrer” is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses a past action that was conditional on another past event. It is often used to talk about hypothetical or unreal situations in the past.

Here are three simple examples of how “carrer” is used in the Conditionnel Passé tense with their English translations:

  1. Si j’avais vu la rue, je l’aurais carrée. (If I had seen the street, I would have squared it.)
  2. Elle n’aurait pas carré l’espace sans votre aide. (She wouldn’t have squared the space without your help.)
  3. Nous aurions carré le jardin si le temps avait été plus clément. (We would have squared the garden if the weather had been more favorable.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais carré Si j’avais su, j’aurais carré. I would have squared.
tu aurais carré Tu aurais carré plus tôt. You would have squared earlier.
il aurait carré Il aurait carré le bloc. He would have squared the block.
elle aurait carré Elle aurait carré la toile. She would have squared the canvas.
on aurait carré On aurait carré la feuille. One would have squared the sheet.
nous aurions carré Nous aurions carré le jardin. We would have squared the garden.
vous auriez carré Vous auriez carré la table. You would have squared the table.
ils auraient carré Ils auraient carré le terrain. They would have squared the field.
elles auraient carré Elles auraient carré leurs ongles. They (female) would have squared their nails.

Other Conjugations for Carrer.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb carrer
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Carrer – 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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