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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb caser

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The English translation of the French verb caser is “to break” or “to put in a case.” The infinitive form, caser, is pronounced as “ka-zay” with the “s” sound being silent.

The origin of the word caser can be traced back to the Latin word “capsa,” meaning “box” or “case.” It is most commonly used in everyday French in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which is used to express actions that would have been done in the past if certain conditions had been met.

Here are three examples of caser being used in the Conditionnel Passé tense with their English translations:

  1. Si j’avais eu plus de précaution, je n’aurais pas casé mon téléphone. (If I had been more careful, I wouldn’t have broken my phone.)
  2. Tu aurais mieux fait de ne pas caser la vaisselle en verre dans cette boîte. (You should have not put the glass dishes in that box.)
  3. Nous aurions dû caser toutes les affaires dans le coffre avant de partir. (We should have packed all our belongings in the trunk before leaving.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais cassé Je crois que je l’aurais cassé. I think I would have broken it.
tu aurais cassé Tu aurais casé ta guitare. You would have broken your guitar.
il aurait cassé Il aurait cassé la fenêtre. He would have broken the window.
elle aurait cassé Elle aurait cassé le vase. She would have broken the vase.
on aurait cassé On aurait cassé la porte. One would have broken the door.
nous aurions cassé Nous aurions cassé le contrat. We would have broken the contract.
vous auriez cassé Vous auriez cassé la règle. You would have broken the rule.
ils auraient cassé Ils auraient cassé le verre. They would have broken the glass.
elles auraient cassé Elles auraient cassé le vase. They (female) would have broken the vase.

Other Conjugations for Caser.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb caser
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Caser – 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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