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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb catiner

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The English translation of the French verb catiner is “to cater” or “to provide food.” The infinitive form, “catiner,” is pronounced “kah-tee-neh.”

The word catiner comes from the Old French word “cater” meaning “to provide food” and is derived from the Latin word “cattus” which means “cat.” In everyday French, catiner is often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense to talk about actions or events that would have taken place in the past if certain conditions were met.

Here are three simple examples of catiner used in the Conditionnel Passé tense:

  1. Si nous avions eu plus de temps, nous aurions catiné un repas délicieux pour le dîner. (If we had had more time, we would have catered a delicious meal for dinner.)

  2. J’aurais aimé que vous catiniez mon mariage, mais malheureusement je n’avais pas les moyens. (I would have liked for you to cater my wedding, but unfortunately I couldn’t afford it.)

  3. Si tu m’avais demandé, j’aurais catiné un gâteau pour ton anniversaire. (If you had asked me, I would have catered a cake for your birthday.)

English translations:

  1. If we had had more time, we would have catered a delicious meal for dinner.
  2. I would have liked for you to cater my wedding, but unfortunately I couldn’t afford it.
  3. If you had asked me, I would have catered a cake for your birthday.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais catiné Si j’avais été là, je t’aurais catiné. If I had been there, I would have flirted with you.
tu aurais catiné Tu aurais catiné plus tôt. You would have flirted earlier.
il aurait catiné Il aurait catiné avec elle. He would have flirted with her.
elle aurait catiné Elle aurait catiné avec lui. She would have flirted with him.
on aurait catiné On aurait catiné toute la soirée. We would have flirted all evening.
nous aurions catiné Nous aurions catiné en secret. We would have flirted secretly.
vous auriez catiné Vous auriez catiné avec nous. You would have flirted with us.
ils auraient catiné Ils auraient catiné toute la nuit. They would have flirted all night.
elles auraient catiné Elles auraient catiné avec leurs copains. They (female) would have flirted with their boyfriends.

Other Conjugations for Catiner.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb catiner
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Catiner – 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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