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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chantonner

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The English translation of the French verb chantonner is “to hum.” It is pronounced “shahn-toh-nay.”

The origin of the word chantonner can be traced back to the Old French word “chanter,” which means “to sing.” Over time, the suffix “-onner” was added to create the verb chantonner, giving it a softer and more playful connotation.

In everyday French, chantonner is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which expresses actions that would have taken place in the past under certain conditions. It is often used to convey a hypothetical or imaginary situation.

Here are three simple examples of chantonner in the Conditionnel Passé tense with their English translations:

  1. Si j’avais gagné à la loterie, j’aurais chantonner toute la journée. (If I had won the lottery, I would have hummed all day.)

  2. Elle aurait chantonner si elle avait su les paroles de la chanson. (She would have hummed if she had known the lyrics of the song.)

  3. Nous aurions chantonner en route si nous avions eu une voiture plus confortable. (We would have hummed along the way if we had a more comfortable car.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais chantonné Si j’avais su, je t’aurais chantonné. I would have hummed to you.
tu aurais chantonné Tu aurais chantonné plus tôt. You would have hummed earlier.
il aurait chantonné Il aurait chantonné une chanson. He would have hummed a song.
elle aurait chantonné Elle aurait chantonné en cuisinant. She would have hummed while cooking.
on aurait chantonné On aurait chantonné sur la route. One would have hummed on the road.
nous aurions chantonné Nous aurions chantonné ensemble. We would have hummed together.
vous auriez chantonné Vous auriez chantonné avec eux. You would have hummed with them.
ils auraient chantonné Ils auraient chantonné en travaillant. They would have hummed while working.
elles auraient chantonné Elles auraient chantonné en se promenant. They (female) would have hummed while walking.

Other Conjugations for Chantonner.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chantonner
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Chantonner – 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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