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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb cerner

Get the Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) tense conjugation of cerner. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb cerner is “to surround” or “to encircle.” It is pronounced “ser-nay.”

Cerner comes from the Latin word “cernere,” meaning “to sift” or “to distinguish.” It entered the French language through Old French in the 12th century.

In everyday French, cerner is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense to express a hypothetical or uncertain situation in the past. It is formed by conjugating the auxiliary verb “avoir” in the Conditionnel Présent tense and adding the past participle of cerner, which is “cerné.”

Examples:

  1. Si j’avais cerné la situation plus tôt, j’aurais réagi différemment. (If I had surrounded the situation earlier, I would have reacted differently.)

  2. Tu aurais cerné le problème si tu avais écouté mes conseils. (You would have grasped the problem if you had listened to my advice.)

  3. Nous aurions cerné l’ennemi avant qu’il ne puisse s’échapper. (We would have surrounded the enemy before they could escape.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais cerné Si j’avais plus de temps, je t’aurais cerné. If I had more time, I would have understood you better.
tu aurais cerné Tu aurais cerné la situation. You would have understood the situation.
il aurait cerné Il aurait cerné mon argument. He would have grasped my argument.
elle aurait cerné Elle aurait cerné les enjeux. She would have understood the stakes.
on aurait cerné On aurait cerné le problème. One would have understood the problem.
nous aurions cerné Nous aurions cerné le sujet. We would have understood the topic.
vous auriez cerné Vous auriez cerné les conséquences. You would have understood the consequences.
ils auraient cerné Ils auraient cerné les vrais coupables. They would have figured out the real culprits.
elles auraient cerné Elles auraient cerné la complexité. They (female) would have understood the complexity.

Other Conjugations for Cerner.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb cerner
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required! 

  

Get a FREE Download Study Sheet of this Conjugation 🔥

Simply right click the image below, click “save image” and get your free reference for the cerner Conditionnel Passé tense conjugation!

Cerner – 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.

Want More?

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb cerner. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply