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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb catalyser

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The English translation of the French verb catalyser is “to catalyze.” It is pronounced “kah-tah-lee-zay” in the infinitive form.

The word “catalyser” comes from the Latin word “catalysare,” which means “to dissolve.” It was first used in French in the 19th century and is derived from the word “catalyse,” which means “action of a catalyst.”

In everyday French, the verb catalyser is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which is used to express a hypothetical action in the past. Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with the respective English translations:

  1. Si j’avais su, j’aurais catalysé le processus. (If I had known, I would have catalyzed the process.)
  2. Nous aurions catalysé la réaction chimique si nous avions eu les bons ingrédients. (We would have catalyzed the chemical reaction if we had the right ingredients.)
  3. Elle aurait catalysé le développement économique de la région si elle avait reçu l’appui nécessaire. (She would have catalyzed the economic development of the region if she had received the necessary support.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais catalysé Si j’avais su, je t’aurais catalysé. I would have catalyzed you.
tu aurais catalysé Tu aurais catalysé plus tôt. You would have catalyzed earlier.
il aurait catalysé Il aurait catalysé l’énergie propre. He would have catalyzed clean energy.
elle aurait catalysé Elle aurait catalysé la réaction. She would have catalyzed the reaction.
on aurait catalysé On aurait catalysé la révolution. One would have catalyzed the revolution.
nous aurions catalysé Nous aurions catalysé ensemble. We would have catalyzed together.
vous auriez catalysé Vous auriez catalysé avec eux. You would have catalyzed with them.
ils auraient catalysé Ils auraient catalysé le processus. They would have catalyzed the process.
elles auraient catalysé Elles auraient catalysé les réactions. They (female) would have catalyzed the reactions.

Other Conjugations for Catalyser.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb catalyser
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Catalyser – 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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