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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chantourner

Get the Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) tense conjugation of chantourner. 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 chantourner is “to outline” or “to trace.” It is pronounced [shahn-toor-nay] in its infinitive form.

The language origin of chantourner can be traced back to the Middle French word “chantour,” which means “to sing” or “to chant.” This word eventually evolved into the verb “chantourner” in modern French, which has taken on the meaning of “to outline” or “to trace.”

In everyday French, chantourner is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense, which is equivalent to the English conditional perfect tense. This tense is used to express a hypothetical or unreal action that could have taken place in the past.

Here are three simple examples of its usage in this tense, with their respective English translations:

  1. Si j’avais su, j’aurais chantourné les contours du dessin. (If I had known, I would have outlined the contours of the drawing.)
  2. Nous aurions chantourné les lettres pour rendre le titre plus joli. (We would have traced the letters to make the title look nicer.)
  3. Mes grands-parents auraient chantourné la boîte en bois pour en faire un cadeau unique. (My grandparents would have outlined the wooden box to make a unique gift.)

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais chantourné Si j’avais le temps, je t’aurais chantourné un tableau. If I had the time, I would have decorated a table for you.
tu aurais chantourné Tu aurais chantourné cette pièce. You would have decorated this room.
il aurait chantourné Il aurait chantourné une sculpture en bois. He would have carved a wooden sculpture.
elle aurait chantourné Elle aurait chantourné une carte en papier. She would have cut out a paper map.
on aurait chantourné On aurait chantourné des décorations de Noël. One would have decorated Christmas decorations.
nous aurions chantourné Nous aurions chantourné des objets en métal. We would have engraved metal objects.
vous auriez chantourné Vous auriez chantourné des cadeaux pour vos amis. You would have decorated gifts for your friends.
ils auraient chantourné Ils auraient chantourné leurs chaises en bois. They would have decorated their wooden chairs.
elles auraient chantourné Elles auraient chantourné des bijoux en argent. They (female) would have engraved silver jewelry.

Other Conjugations for Chantourner.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chantourner
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


    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 chantourner Conditionnel Passé tense conjugation!

Chantourner – 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 chantourner. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply