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

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb chatouiller

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The English translation of the French verb chatouiller is “to tickle.” It is pronounced “sha-too-yee-yay.”

The origin of the word chatouiller can be traced back to the Latin word “catullus,” meaning “to caress or tickle.” It was then borrowed into Old French as “chateoillier,” and eventually evolved into the modern form “chatouiller.”

In everyday French, chatouiller is most often used in the Conditionnel Passé tense (conditional perfect). This tense is used to express an action that would have taken place in the past had certain conditions been met. It is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the conditional tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Example 1: Si j’avais su que tu aimais être chatouillé, je t’aurais chatouillé plus souvent.
Translation: If I had known that you liked to be tickled, I would have tickled you more often.

Example 2: Elle aurait été chatouillée par son frère toute la journée si elle n’avait pas été malade.
Translation: She would have been tickled by her brother all day if she hadn’t been sick.

Example 3: Nous serions arrivés plus tôt si nous n’avions pas été chatouillés par le trafic.
Translation: We would have arrived earlier if we hadn’t been tickled by traffic.

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

Pronoun Conjugation Example Usage English Translation
je aurais chatouillé Si j’avais su, je t’aurais chatouillé. I would have tickled you.
tu aurais chatouillé Tu aurais chatouillé plus tôt. You would have tickled earlier.
il aurait chatouillé Il aurait chatouillé son frère. He would have tickled his brother.
elle aurait chatouillé Elle aurait chatouillé ses amis. She would have tickled her friends.
on aurait chatouillé On aurait chatouillé ensemble. One would have tickled together.
nous aurions chatouillé Nous aurions chatouillé dans la piscine. We would have tickled in the pool.
vous auriez chatouillé Vous auriez chatouillé vos enfants. You would have tickled your children.
ils auraient chatouillé Ils auraient chatouillé leur chat. They would have tickled their cat.
elles auraient chatouillé Elles auraient chatouillé leur chien. They (female) would have tickled their dog.

Other Conjugations for Chatouiller.

    

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

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb chatouiller
     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Chatouiller – 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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